


Riches of the Commonwealth

by Lorethcrow



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Death, Drug Use, F/M, Fade to Black, Fear of Death, Gen, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kissing, Major Character Injury, Nudity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2020-05-01 19:16:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 61,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19183993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lorethcrow/pseuds/Lorethcrow
Summary: After everything has settled down and the Brotherhood, under a new Paladin's leadership, is carrying on after Maxim's departure. Working with the Minutemen the two groups worked toward finding a peaceful common ground and maintain that peace as long as they can. With so many threats roaming the Commonwealth there's rarely a quiet day. Finding some place safe and out of the elements can be the greatest treasure and the most sought after prize.This story takes place in Boston after the bombs have dropped and the Brotherhood of Steel claimed victory over the institute. Original characters fight their way through the irradiated wasteland that is the Commonwealth. Timeline is a year or so after the base game but before events in NukaWorld or Far Harbor.





	1. In the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking a job always meant opening yourself up to chaos. But if the reward at the end was worth it then chaos just meant more fun.

Over 200 years have passed since the nuclear bombs dropped across the country. The initial blast was responsible for destroying so much but the worst of the damage was done from the fallout that settled across the countryside. Nothing was left unaffected from the radiation and over the centuries the landscape became unrecognizable. Nature reclaimed structures left abandoned, beasts adapted in both appearance and habits, and the remaining humans eked out an existence rife with challenges. 

War will never change, an eternal road built of adversity and recovery that humans will forever travel down. It didn’t matter that so much of the world was destroyed and that violence was around every corner, humans would always prevail. Against all odds and with surmounting dangers from the radiation, humans continued down that road. Banding together they made settlements and communities, supporting each other even as they fought against the cruel radiated world.

One of those communities that tried so hard to combat the growing number of threats was the Minutemen. Working together across the Commonwealth of Boston they helped to protect and encourage settlements as they grew and made the roads safer for merchants to travel between. Sadly, over the years, corruption and war brought the Minutemen down to only a few stubborn men with no support and not even the faith of their settlements left to offer support. Time passed and rumors say that a man from the past came out of the vault and took leadership of the Minutemen, rebuilding their network of settlements and merchants. 

Many of these settlements flourished and grew to rival Diamond City with their own markets and governing councils but a few along the fringes of the Commonwealth struggled against the onslaught of raiders. One of those that struggled was Sunshine Tidings Co-op situated not far from the western edge of the Commonwealth and the uninhabited wasteland beyond.

One of the many raider groups in the commonwealth chose Sunshine as their target, setting up a small camp at a nearby abandoned bunker with their own defenses in place. A guard, captured from Sunshine while on patrol, was sent back with grievous wounds and the raider's demands. Five prisoners and one hundred pounds of food and water to be surrendered up. The raider's gave Sunshine two days to gather the supplies and future-slaves and as the guard lay dying from the wounds inflicted he told the communal leaders that they didn't stand a chance against the number of raiders. For the small farming settlement, the demands were more than they dare give up but from the guard's final report, they didn't have much choice.

The decision was made to send a runner to the nearest settlement and ask for help while the backup plan was to portion out supplies in the hopes that the raiders would take the food and water without taking any prisoners with them. 

What the community leaders didn’t expect was that their runner would be intercepted by a single mercenary willing to take on the job. The mercenary had already been making her way north and met with the runner before he reached Greygarden. The race back to Sunshine was on and the mercenary arrived before the sun had set that same day. 

As she sat across from the leader’s in the central building, Loreth looked far too comfortable for the level of danger hanging over the settlement. Dressed in what appeared to be simple leather clothes, belts cross-crossing her figure with pouches and ammo wheels and a large traveling pack set on the floor next to her bearing even more containers. Her dark auburn hair was tied back in a simple bun under a patched newsie cap, messy from going unwashed for so long. Strapped to the side of her right leg was a heavily modified shotgun that sat in a custom holster, the stock gently stroked by her fingertips as she spoke with the leaders. 

“Listen, raiders are all kinda the same. I’ve made it my hobby to take them out.” Adjusting her seat so one leg was tucked under the other, her smirk only grew wider as she made light of the invaders. “I can take this camp out by myself. In exchange, I want a week’s worth of food, bed, and use of your work station!” Her greedy gaze fell on the tinker station behind the leader’s chair and the community leaders couldn’t deny the offer was tempting. 

“We were just going to give you caps... But bed, food, and use of the work bench? We can do that if you take out the raiders.” The three leaders looked between themselves, surprised at such a windfall. Not too many mercenaries took jobs without expecting caps in return.

A shake of hands and the deal was done. One of the guards showed Loreth to a room usually left for traveling merchants but perfectly suited to her needs. Stashing her bag and excess gear under the bed meant she could travel light. Filling a padded container rigged to strap across her back with a dozen mines and adding half a dozen grenades to her bandolier and Loreth was ready to make her way out to the raider camp.

Briefly pausing at the communal dining hall, she grabbed a meal and filled several skins of clean water. “This will tide me over. See you guys tomorrow!” 

Sunset was still an hour or so away which meant she could spy on the raiders with decent lighting. Making her way toward the camp, she found a rocky outcropping that overlooked their base. On her belly with a pair of old and cracked binoculars to her face, Loreth kept track of the patrols and the range of the spotlights. A few turrets had central positions that would make storming the camp much harder but unfortunate for the raiders, she had something else in mind. Using the last stub of her charcoal piece she drew a rough sketch of the camp with special detail on the patrol paths and building layouts. With a piece of chalk she made markings on her map planning out the locations for her mines and what path would keep her mostly out of sight. 

Sunset faded to welcome in a moonless night. Loreth grinned from behind the cloth mask she lowered over her face before she slid from the outcropping. Slinking along the edges of their lantern light with all the focus of a hunting predator, the mercenary made her way to the first ramp leading into a hastily built hut. Two of her mines were affixed to the entrance with their sensors adjusted low enough that a passing human wouldn’t set them off but her planned grenade barrage would certainly do the trick!

Hugging the darkest edges of the camp and keeping low to the ground, Loreth was able to safely reach the far side of the camp and the entrance to the fenced off area. From this angle she could see why the raiders chose here to set up their base as the outline of an old bunker could be seen from behind a curtain of ivy with light coming from inside. A second smaller cement structure could be seen with the open door lined in lamplight and filled with crates.

_ So that’s where they got the turrets and spotlights from. Must be a military bunker that hasn’t been looted yet. Surprising! I thought the Brotherhood had stolen all the good stuff by now. _ Grinning to herself as she made her way through truck wreckage that was left rusting outside the fenced entrance toward the opposite side of the camp, Loreth wondered just how much would be left for her to take.  _ Oh man, if I'm here before the damn Brotherhood then this job just became my best paying yet! Last time I found a potential haul this good those fuckers in their fancy ass armor swooped in and commandeered it all. Some bullshit about preserving technology. Bastards. They just don't want the rest of us to get a leg up.  _

Pausing in her mental rant, she had her back to a large rock while waiting for a raider to patrol past not more than five feet from her position.  _ At least it's just raiders. These I can deal with. Asswipes in power armor is a whole different story.  _ Wrinkling her nose at the memory of the last time she ran into the Brotherhood of Steel, she made her slow way along the backside of a raider's hut near the smaller cement building.  _ I think it was a similar situation, too. Raiders making demands up in DC, me and a few folks take the job to wipe out the raiders in exchange for whatever loot we find, some caps, and some food. Seemed like a good deal until the BoS shitters dropped in to claim the crates of explosives and weapons we found. All that ammo... We really needed it too.  _

Shaking her head to banish the memory and return her focus to the last bit of her plan, Loreth risked a hopeful glance toward where she knew the entrance to the bunker was.  _ I really really do need the materials that could be in there. All these mines are getting harder to make. _

Affixing her last mine to the ramp, Loreth started back up to her original start point where she could begin lobbing the grenades. Having hidden mines throughout the raider camp the poor bastards wouldn’t stand a chance as the explosions ripped through them. Kneeling on her outcropping with the grenades lined up in front of her, she pulled back a pin and let loose the first bomb.

Hitting her mark, the mines blossomed in a storm of debris and frag shards to rip the first shanty apart and any raiders that had been sleeping within. Their screams were overshadowed by the second and third round of grenades going off and the subsequent mines shortly after. What she didn’t hear was the roar of a vertibird’s engines coming from the southeast and bringing with it the dawn. 

Cackling with glee at the destruction being caused by her explosions, entire buildings now missing and sprays of blood and gore decorating the detritus, Loreth caught the glint of metal from the vertibird and cursed loudly. Three suits of power armor plummeted down from the hovering craft to land with one suit to either side of the central area and the third armor landing at the gate entrance. The concussion from their landing rattled through the stones beneath her, startling her even as she drew her shotgun.

“The fuck?!” Coughing as smoke from the camp finally reached her, Loreth finally saw what had landed. “Damn it... Brotherhood... Bastards are going to swoop in, take the credit and the loot and leave me with nothing again!” Shotgun in one hand, she vaulted down the boulders cursing as she went. 

“OI! Shitheads! Rusty fuckers! Get out of my camp!” She had never been very tall but even as she clambered over the ruins of a hut to see the hulking mass of X-01 armor Loreth swore louder still. “Oh great. Don’t you look so fancy in your really well maintained armor... X-01, sexy... ANYWAYS! Get out of here! I killed the raiders, I get the loot and the reward.” Jabbing her gloved finger at the polished armor’s chest it was hard to not be distracted by the restoration work. 

The helmet turned toward her, having to look down even though she stood on what was left of a crate. No voice echoed through the helmet but she didn’t give whoever was inside a chance. “SERIOUSLY! Move it! I killed them, I get the shit!” The helmet turned away from her and a constant stream of insults issued from the short woman. 

“Round up any survivors. I want to question them.” The other two armored figured responded to the X-01’s voice even though Loreth stepped up her promise of violence. 

“You’re not even listening to me you asshole! There won’t be any survivors, you’re not getting anything because I’m getting the reward!” Hopping off her perch, Loreth stomped through the wreckage toward the bunker she had uncovered, kicking the remains of a turret out of her way. With a practiced motion, a duffel bag was snapped out of her pocket so that she could start collecting whatever materials she could find. Not even pretending to muffle her insults or threats Loreth let loose a stream of obscenities aimed at the men in power armor.

“Fucking brotherhood. I swear. Every time I find something good they show up and take it. Last fucking time I swear. Assholes!” Kicking an empty beer bottle aside, she crammed yet another broken desk fan into her already full bag. It had taken her a good half hour to finish rooting through the crates of both bunkers while the brotherhood were rounding up the bodies. She had indeed killed them all but the brotherhood were arranging the bodies for a hasty burial while their leader kept watch outside the bunker Loreth was emptying.

Dragging both bags with her, their seams straining from how much she had stuffed into them, Loreth stopped when she saw the hulking mass of X-01 armor standing motionless. “Oi. Asshole. You still in there or do I get to loot your armor too?” She dropped the bags with heavy sounding thuds and inched closer to the armor so she could get a better look at it. “I’d love a chance to take it apart... Look at the wiring... Man oh Man that is some exquisite reworking.” Her hand reached out to touch the arm plate when the man inside it moved, helmet turning toward her. “SHIT! Seriously, you’re a fucking rusty piece of shit, you know that? Why are you still here? Huh? Chem huntin’? Should have known. Fuckin’ brotherhood.” 

Bluster couldn’t hide how high she had jumped when he moved or the way she inched back. Her pride wouldn’t let her admit it but the massive armor with it’s silent bearer was setting her on edge. A snort to try and hide how unnerving he was she turned back to get her bags while muttering more insults under her breath.

Everything rattled under her as the power armor moved first, gauntlet hands scooping up the handles with ease. “Let’s go.” The voice echoed through the respirator sending chills down her spine. 

A solid ten seconds passed before she realized that the brotherhood she had been insulting was making his way down toward the landed veritbird with her bags of loot. “SHIT! Son of a .. Give me back my loot! What are you doing you rusty bucket of tin! Put those down you thieving piece of tetanus!”

“I’m not stealing it. I’m carrying it for you.” The leader paused after setting her bags into the vertibird and turned toward the other two T-60 suits heading down from the burning pit of bodies. "Send in word to have some Scribes come check for anything useful here." The helmet turned to watch as Loreth cursed her way through the rubble towards the vertibird though she swore up and down the armored man chuckled as she struggled to climb over the remains of the fence. 

Standing in front of him, hands on her hips as she scowled up at the expressionless helmet, Loreth reminded him again of how much she disliked his order. “I get in this, you better not push me out and there will be Nowhere Safe for you if you just ditch me and take all my shit! You hear me in there, pissant?! Huh?!” Satisfied when the helmet nodded, though visibly uncomfortable with the idea, she climbed into the back of the vertibird to find a seat as far from the open doors as possible. 

The other two sets of power armor joined them inside the ‘bird making the cabin feel extremely tight even as their bulk prevented anything from falling out of the open sides. Once the three power armors were secured the pilot took off, angling back over the short distance to Sunshine Tidings. Landing the bird was gentle enough that Loreth barely felt anything but could feel the shocks adjust as one of the T-60 suits hopped off followed by the leader in the X-01 armor. Their leader held a hand out to help Loreth down and got nothing but a growl in response.

“Great, thanks for the ride I guess. Could have walked cuz we weren’t that far but of COURSE you brotherhood ass-stains have to show off. You getting my stuff out or gonna steal it along with my reward, huh? Just drop me off here so I look useless, right? Gonna ruin my reputation or something?”

His sigh was hard to miss as the leader turned to the community’s mayor that had come down to greet them. “You hired a good mercenary. She got all of them without any assistance. We did get to see the show though.” The gruff voice was as emotionless as his armor’s helmet but Loreth’s shocked expression made up for it. Her jaw hung open as he announced she not only did it all, but without any help! 

“We saw the explosions! Do you think that will keep them away?” The Mayor breathed a sigh of relief along with the remaining settlers that showed up to hear the report. 

“For a while at least. And they won’t be camping there, that’s for sure. She left nothing but rubble behind.” A nod to the mayor and X-01 turned toward Loreth. “Pay her the caps promised. She definitely earned them." 

The Sunshine mayor looked between Loreth and X-01 with a sheepish grin. "Actually, her payment was room and board plus access to our work benches. We didn't agree on any caps."

"Ah, well then pay her the usual One hundred caps anyway. I think she’d enjoy using my personal workshop more. I’ll also be leaving these two Brotherhood behind for the week to help patrol just be sure no more raiders are lurking in the area.”

_ My ears must still be ringing from those bombs. Did he say his personal workstation? Oh man those gotta be some sweet tools if he uses them on that armor. Ah... wait... it’s probably a trap. He’ll get my junk, my caps, and get me to some private little hideaway where he can kill me and no one will know! _ Her paranoia was hard to miss as she slid a step back away from X-01 and the vertibird.  _ I can run pretty fast, but him in that armor... I can get away. Probably...  _

“Sentinel! Her supplies have been loaded into the 'bird and confirmation was received. Extra supplies are on the way to support me and my partner’s stay here.” One of the T-60 suits snapped off a salute and Loreth could see her extra bags already sitting in the back of the ‘bird. 

Beside her the mayor handed over a small bag that clattered with the payment inside. “If you think our work space is nice, just wait till you see his!” He didn’t seem concerned about Loreth’s safety which helped ease the mercenary’s paranoia just a smidge. 

“Right... Great.” A quick glance inside the bag to make sure it at least looked like the one hundred caps satisfied Loreth enough that she stuffed it into one of her many pouches. “Thanks for the caps. Holler if you need me again, ya?”  _ So long as this BoS guy doesn't murder me in my sleep... _

The Mayor nodded as Loreth was nudged gently by the X-01 back toward the ‘bird.  _ Surprisingly gentle for a massive piece of weaponized machinery... _ Back into the ‘bird, it was very hard to hide how curious she was about the armor and the man inside.  _ Brotherhood upper brass for sure. Sentinel is the second highest rank if I remember right. But why is he out here? The settlers clearly recognized the armor. I thought the Minutemen and the Brotherhood were at odds? But he's even leaving 2 suits behind to make sure the settlement doesn't get ambushed. _

A hiss of escaping air set her almost jumping out of the cabin’s seat. “FOR FUCKS SAKE stop doing shit like that!” A hand to her heart as if to still the rapidly beating organ trying to escape her ribs, she released the white knuckle grip on her shotgun’s holster. Scowling at the man, for she could see his face now as he took the helmet off, Loreth felt a blush crawl across her face and down her neck. _ Well shit, he’s good looking, too... That’s cheating. _

He chuckled at her and the sound tickled down her spine while she looked out the open door, up at the wiring, really just at anything except him. She felt his eyes on her and a part of her wished he would put the helmet back on. At least then she couldn’t see where he was looking and didn’t have to think about how neatly trimmed his beard was. Her eyes followed a trail of wires across the roof of the cabin to distract herself from how the sun touched the red of his hair tied back in a low tail, a cleanly trimmed goatee framing what she saw as a soft smile. The lighting didn’t let her see what color his eyes were but she imagined they were a gentle brown color. 

The color to her cheeks darkened and it was obvious that he noticed when he chuckled again. “Is this the first vertibird you’ve seen up close?” 

Clearing her throat, she turned toward him and tried to replace the curiosity with a scowl though it felt forced to her so she loaded more sarcasm into her voice then truly necessary. “Oh didn’t you know? Brotherhood just swoop down to scoop up mercs all the time. Free rides all over the damn place.” 

His grin was more obvious now as he turned toward the window. “Well your free ride is nearly over. Welcome to my workshop.”

Following his gaze her brow quirked at what appeared to be a barely maintained Red Rocket station but she saw several turrets hidden amongst the dead ivy on the roof and overhang. Leaning closer to the window while they landed more evidence could be seen of habitation and her curiosity made her brow quirl. Having not slept the night before and all the excitement she hoped there would be a safe place for her to sleep. “Cozy. Workspace inside?”

They landed and he opened the side first to hop out, his armor thudding into the cement as her steps barely stirred the dirt. He handed over his helmet to her before grabbing the bags she still had inside the ‘bird. Her usual travel bag was already on her back and a part of her found it amusing that he was so willing to carry the heavy junk for her. 

The chance to inspect the helmet was intriguing and she took the opportunity to turn it in her hands to see how the inside looked. The internal mechanisms were either new or just well maintained and it made her want to examine the rest of his X-01 armor even more. 

“This way, the water filter is to the left behind the corner here. Bathrooms will be further around that corner closer to the hill. Inside the main building is the food storage and cook stove but this is where the workstations are.” A bigger smile across his face as he opened the door into the garage section with a flair of his hands.

Her eyes went wide at the exposed room before her, the helmet clutched tightly in her hands. “Oh.... wow...” Center of the left wall was the power armor station empty and waiting for his X-01 as well as the expected workshop bench straight across from the door. But she also saw a weapon station to the right of the work bench and an armor station next to the doorway she stood in! A bed was tucked against the sealed garage door opposite the power armor and one corner was filled with tires and something bulky under a tarp.

“And this is yours for the next week.” He carefully set the bags of junk op top of the trunk that sat at the foot of the bed before backing the X-01 armor into the station. A hiss of forced air filled the room as the power armor opened to let him step out. Armored even though he had been in power armor, Loreth saw the black metal of Marine combat gear and was doubly impressed! That was hard to find and costly to maintain. The man himself was average height and appeared to be muscular though the protective gear disguised the truth.

Closing the power armor up once he was out, the man came over to her to take the X-01 helmet back and attach it to the armor. “I’ll let you get to work. If you need me, I’ll be in my office just around the corner here.” He turned to leave but paused not far from her in the doorway. “Don’t shoot my dog when he comes back. You’ll know he’s mine by the fur and the fact that he can open the doors.” 

“Right. Dog. Got it.” Her arms crossed over her belly as she looked up at him, not sure if she felt intimidated by him being this close, but her heart fluttered some while watching him walk down the hall toward the rest of the Red Rocket interior. 

_ Might as well get to work. I have two whole bags to take apart, plus my shotgun needs repairs.  _ A hand went to the holster at her lower back to feel for her 10mm. _ Add that I need to fix the sight on my pistol... All these tools will make my work easier but I bet I can get this done with time to spare! _

Grinning wider, Loreth left the door open to the rest of the garage in case he needed her but went in to start sorting through the junk she had found in the raider camp. It took her a good hour to empty both bags and arrange the items based off materials she would be getting out of them with piles of junk covering much of the floor. The last bit of her notebook was open where she could update her inventory as she broke things down. Also on the floor next to her sat the containers that held her materials like pill bottles full of screws and gears, paperboard boxes holding larger components, and entire sheets of steel and aluminum ready to be bent and shaped to suit her needs. 

Taking things apart had always been soothing to her. The act of methodically breaking something down to its most basic elements was calming and with the large collection of stuff she had it would take her hours. Time passed and she barely noticed when night had fallen until a knock came to the doorframe behind her, the work absorbing her entirely.

“Sorry to startle you. Dinner’s done, if you’re hungry.” He had left the armor behind and wore a clean shirt and slacks, no stains or obvious patches which didn’t really surprise Loreth. He had so far proven to be particular about his appearance. Comparing him to her made her suddenly much more aware of how dirty her white tank top was, the patches in her leather pants and the fact she really needed to bathe. 

“Oh, right... Food.” To remind her how long it had been since dinner the day before, her stomach growled loud enough that he definitely heard. “Guess I’ll take you up on that offer.” Standing slowly as she had put her legs to sleep, Loreth followed him to the main part of the building where bowls of stew had been set out. “Oh that smells good.” 

Inside the main part of the Red Rocket was the ancient sales counter that had been converted to a food prep station and stored dishes, canned goods, and other kitchen implements. In front of the massive windows, the glass long since gone, sat a long bartop that people would have likely eaten at while they waited for their cars to be serviced. Loreth noticed a few faded pictures of what the gas station had once looked like and found it amusing to see the differences.

Pulling a stool out for her and then himself at the bartop, he sat and gestured for her to take a seat and join him. There was enough space between them for two more people but she was fine with that. He had been nice and left her to work in peace which she was grateful for, but what did he have in mind for her? Either way, she sat and wasted little time in eating the meal he had provided.  _ If I die from his bad cooking then so be it. I die with a full stomach _ .

The stew smelled tasty and after the first bite her eyes snapped wide. “Good! Oh wow, this is great!”  Even as hot as it was, she wasted little time in devouring the meal. He watched the first few bites disappear before chuckling and eating his own serving. 

“Thanks. I’ll need to go to Sanctuary in a few days to pick up more supplies. I don’t usually keep too much here.” His meal was half done but she was licking the spoon clean with a satisfied smile. “There’s enough for you to have seconds if you want. I don’t think you’ve eaten much today, have you?”

Color blossomed on her cheeks as she stood. “Naw, got sorta wrapped up in my work. That happens. Want anything while I’m up?” 

Their dinner passed without much more conversation but the two seemed to be comfortable with that, eating in the quiet without the oppressive need to speak. Loreth savored her second bowl while he did the same. There was still more stew in there but he mentioned the rest would make for a decent breakfast. Her nod was accompanied by a hand out for his bowl.

“I’ll wash these. Only fair, since you cooked.” Handing her the bowl and spoon with a surprised look on his face, he watched as she collected a bucket of water to boil and clean the dishes in. A quiet thank you and the man went back into the office where she heard the keys of a terminal start tapping.

_ Wonder what he’s working on in there... Not that it matters. I’m just here for the tools. A week and I’m out. Should be enough time for me to rest up and get my gear in order before hitting the wasteland _ . The bowls were clean and she set them next to the cook station inside for next time they were needed. The rest of the bucket of boiled water got used to clean her arms and face off, a sliver of her soap used to wipe the grime away. _ Forgot how nice it feels to be clean. I think once he goes to sleep I’ll do a proper wash. Just don’t feel like being spied on _ . 

Back to work she went and several more hours went by without her noticing but when he turned the lamp off in the main room her head snapped up.  _ What?! Oh... light is out... Guess he’s going to sleep. _ Scooting to the door so she could hear his movements it definitely sounded like he was going to bed. She waited another long bit to make sure he was indeed asleep before she snuck back outside to where she could heat up the water again. A cleaner shirt and pants over her arm along with comb and the last of her soap meant she would get to be clean for the first time in a long while. 

It felt like ages since the last time soap touched her skin and it was glorious to be clean! She had to be quick though, not wanting him to come check on her only to find her naked. Once she was dried off and dressed into something that wasn’t covered in grease and dirt, she tossed the water into the bushes and went back to the garage. Having to walk past his room she paused for a moment and was pretty sure she heard quiet snoring.  _ Oh good. Still asleep. I should get some sleep as well since this is probably the safest place I’m gonna get for a while. _

Back in the garage Loreth put the little paperboard boxes full of screws and gears and other components back into a repurposed chem box. Her personal tools were kept in a First Aid box with both being stuffed into the bottom of her travel bag. A mound of steel and aluminum were kept to the side where she could melt them down during the day and another pile of miscellaneous bits would be likely gifted to her host since she didn’t have a use for them and couldn’t carry everything with her. 

_ Learning names is usually a bad idea for mercs. Getting attached is never smart, but I should probably find out what his name is instead of just calling him X-01 in my head.  _ Stretching out on the bed, gloriously soft and clean with a real blanket as well, Loreth barely kept her eyes open enough to finish that thought.  _ Can’t really... call him asshole either.... pretty rude.  _

Sleep claimed her long enough that she started to dream and then a noise from the other side of the garage door cut through to wake her with a start. Heart racing where she lay, the 10mm gun in her hand, eyes glowed at her from across the room.  **_SHITSHITSHIT!!!_ ** Aiming down the sight, hands steady even as adrenaline shot through her system. Before she released the safety the light from outside shifted and she saw that the eyes were from the X-01 power armor helmet.  _ Oh fuck.... the damn armor... Alright, so I’m safe inside, but didn’t I hear something outside?  _

Trying to control her breathing while her whole focus was outside, Loreth heard something shuffling from the other side of the garage door.  _ Definitely something there. Do I wake him? Deal with it myself? _ Sliding to the floor in bare feet, her 10mm pointed down at the floor by her hip, she slowly crouched toward the doorway. 

Just beyond where she was crouched there were two doors to the outside and one of them had a definite rustling. She watched as the door handle wiggled, a shape hidden in the darkness turning it. A quiet creak and whisper of air as the door slid aside to allow whatever was outside to pad indoors. 

_ Paws. A dog? Didn’t X-01 mention he had one? _ Lowering her weapon, Loreth took a breath and glanced around the doorframe to come face to face with a fully furred dog. “SHIT!” Falling back on her ass, gun up, her shout alerted the man who came running down the hall.

“Wait wait! It’s just Dogmeat!” The man was in just pants but the dog scampered over to him with an excited yip. “Good boy. Welcome back. Now stop scaring our guest.” He came toward Loreth to offer a hand up and paused for just a second as he saw the now cleaned face that looked up at him. “Sorry he woke you.”

“Oh, ya... Just glad it wasn’t something worse.” Accepting his hand to stand, she brushed auburn hair back from her face. 

They separated after that, her back to the bed in the garage and him back to the bed in his office. Dogmeat followed his owner. Loreth rooted around the garage to find a piece of cloth big enough to toss over the power armor’s head before climbing back into the bed herself.  _ Damn thing... I can still feel it staring at me...  _


	2. First day together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A busy day should always be followed up with rest and a chance to really do what you love. For Loreth, that means a day of repairs and maintenance. After all, what's a Fallout story without junk!

The rest of the night past with little sleep for Loreth and by the time her host was awake she was already hard at work melting down the scrap metals. Forge work was some of her favorite and she basked in the heat given off by the smelter. Sweat poured down her face and back, the thin tank top sticking to her skin. 

He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her carefully pour the molten metal into forms that would let the material cool into sheets. It was clear the way she moved that this was regular work for her, muscles across her back and shoulders defined by the hard life she had lived while scars decorated the exposed flesh. One scar caught his attention, drawing a small frown onto his face.

Branded onto her right shoulder blade was the obvious mark of a raider camp. He had seen the practice before though the mark was not one he recognized.  _ She must not be from around here originally. I thought I knew all the raider emblems for the commonwealth _ . Between hammer strikes he was able to get a better look and saw two jagged cuts through the scar which he knew was another practice to symbolize leaving the gang or being freed from their slavery. The other scars crisscrossing her body made him wonder if they were also caused by the raiders. She didn’t have the usual marks of chem usage or being in a raider gang, none of the tattoos or piercings they did _. A slave then? Explains why she hunts them so eagerly. Revenge?  _

He wanted to alert her of breakfast being ready but didn’t want to startle her, specially not after he had been standing there staring for several minutes. Instead he set the leftover stew on the weapon bench near the door and left her to her work while he went to find a book he had been given. 

Afternoon came and the forge died down as the sound of tinkering started up. He sat at the bar with Dogmeat at his feet and a book in his hand. Now and then he would hear her half sing along to the radio and it reminded him of just how very quiet this place got when it was just the two of them. Dogmeat gave a quiet snort as if in agreement as the two basked in the much calmer atmosphere of the Red Rocket.

Finishing his book with a contented sigh, he realized that the garage had grown very quiet and the sun outside was drifting toward the horizon. Collecting a glass of water for her, he stuck his head in and saw her curled up on the floor with a wrench still in her hand and her head pillowed on a first aid box. Tempted to pick her up and put her in bed, he also wanted to not get hurt. Instead he draped the blanket over her and set the pillow near enough that even in her sleep his guest nestled it under her head. 

_ She looked exhausted before, but I didn’t realize how tired she must have been _ . A quick glance at the work she had been doing, he recognized the pieces of a 10mm mostly reassembled. What really got his attention was the cloth draped over the helmet of his power armor. Fighting back a laugh, he tried to imagine how intimidating the armor must look in the dark garage.  _ I should have probably stored that facing the wall instead of her bed. It’s not like I have guests all that often and I didn’t think about it.  _

Backing out as quietly as he entered, he decided that maybe now was the best time for him to do some work outside and keep busy so he didn’t wake her. _ If my armor kept her up all night it’s the least I could do.  _ Pausing as he walked through the main part of the building, he realized something.  _ You know, I never did get her name. I should probably fix that.  _

Collecting his dirty clothes and body armor, he made his way up to the roof where a clothes line was strung between two posts for supporting the iconic Red Rocket. He had long ago set up a laundry spot and kept a trunk with armor cleaning supplies which he was grateful for today. She was likely going to sleep for a while in his garage which meant he didn’t have access to the armor station in there. _ I’m not that worried. I think she needs the sleep more then my armor needs the cleaning _ .

Cleaning the few outfits he kept at the Red Rocket took longer then he had expected with several blood stains and oil stains he had forgotten about. _ Abraxo can only do so much it seems. Well, I guess these clothes will have to stay here. Can’t very well represent the Brotherhood looking like I crawled out from under an engine now can I _ .

Sunlight started to dip beneath the tree line as he made his way down to the rest of the Red Rocket. The stew leftovers were still on the cook stove but he realized that more was going to need to be added if he wanted to feed two people. A quick check into the food stores confirmed his worry. _ Nothing but a few more tatos, some corn, and a can of Cram. Well, I guess I can add the vegetables to the stew and save the Cram for breakfast. Pretty sure I have a leftover can of pork and beans around here somewhere _ ... Scrounging around the cook station, he did indeed find the can he was looking for. “Ah ha, perfect.” Setting it aside for tomorrow, he went back to chopping the tatos and corn while the stew warmed back up again. More water was added and he took several pinches of his precious salt to add some flavor. The stew wouldn’t be as good but it would last until he could make something special for dinner to make up for it.

_ Forgot how much I enjoyed cooking for people. Too bad the brotherhood has initiates to do all that _ . Taste testing the stew he grimaced and shook his head. _ I guess maybe it’s best I don’t do the cooking all that often _ .

A chuckle as he went to the garage to check on his guest he found her awake and finishing up with her 10mm. Humming a bit as she polished the last of the oil down the barrel, she heard him entering and leaned her head way back to look at him as he came in. “Do I smell food?”

“Yes. The last of the stew for dinner. Tomorrow I’ll have to head to Sanctuary for supplies.” Leaning against the doorframe, he glanced over the power armor and saw that the cloth draped on the helmet had a smiley face drawn on it. “you know, if it bothers you that much I can just move it.”

She stood and brushed her hands off on her pants. “Naw, I’m used to it now. I thought it would be best if it stopped staring at me though.” Holstering the pistol where it hung next to the bed, she followed him out to the bar where they could eat and watch the sun set.

“It’s really peaceful here. I can see why you chose this spot as a workshop.” Less ravenous, she took her time with dinner while watching the wind play in the naked tree branches. 

“It used to be so busy. And greener.” He had finished his soup already and sat with his elbows on the bar, chin resting in his hand as he looked out the large window. 

“Greener? And busy? I’ve never seen a lot of green out here.” Looking at him more then the outdoors, she got a sudden grin on her face. “Oh hey! I know just the thing for a safe night! Hold tight.” Hopping up to rush toward the garage, he watched where she disappeared with growing concern as she made a racket going through her inventory.

Returning triumphantly with a full bottle held aloft, she dropped down onto the stool she had vacated and offered him the first drink. “Bobarov Vodka! I just so happen to have a brand new bottle that I can share. You get first draw, cuz I ended up breaking glasses last time I carried any. Broken glass is hard to clean up.”

Quirking his brow for a second as he looked at the bottle, he handed it back and stood. “I got glasses over here. Just a moment.” Collecting a few shot glasses from a drawer, he returned and held one out to her. “This way we don’t have to share the bottle.”

“What, don’t want merc germs?” Laughing as she poured herself a drink, Loreth nodded toward the bottle. “Though I figure sharing with you sorta pays you back for the blanket. Sorry I passed out like that.”

Shrugging as he sipped the bitter liquor and gave her a glance over. “You were exhausted. Tomorrow the place will be yours so you can rest a little easier.” 

“Oh ya? I think you mentioned something about that the other day.” She turned herself around so that she could rest with an elbow on the bar, her back to the window. “Since you and Dogmeat will be gone that will give me a chance to work on some mines. I got enough materials to make four or so.” Finishing her first drink and reaching for the bottle, her glance fell on his concerned features. “Hey, I have all my original limbs so don’t think I’m going to just haphazardly explode or something.”

A chuckle and he poured her a second drink before pouring one for himself. “Fair enough. We’ll be gone most of the day. They mentioned wanting my help with some construction and needed the power armor for some heavy lifting.”

_ So he does help the settlements as well as the brotherhood. Definitely different from the ones up in Washington.. _ . Sipping at her vodka, Loreth finally exhaled and set the glass down before stretching her arms up. “I think I’m good to call it a night. I’m ahead of schedule on my repairs so I should be able to finish most of the rest tomorrow. Maybe one more day.”

Nodding as he finished off his own drink, X-01 stood. “Then I’ll call it a night. Rest well.” He stood and went to the cooking area to rinse out his glass before following Dogmeat to the side room where his bed was.

Making her way to the garage she tugged off her boots and gratefully stretched out across the comfortable bed. Laying with her arms crossed behind her head, Loreth watched the shadows play across the ceiling while thinking over the evening’s conversation.  _ He’s really easy to talk to. Natural, almost, to just be in the same room. I know my rules say not to get involved with anyone that’s hired me or settlers, but he’s neither of those. Probably still a bad idea, all things considered, since he’s in the Brotherhood.  _

A groan and she rolled over onto her side to glare at the power armor.  _ I really shouldn’t get attached. Even if he’s nice.  _

Her thoughts drifted off while thinking over the last few days while hoping vaguely for something she didn’t dare put into words.


	3. All in a day's work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow the leader on a day through Sanctuary and down Memory Lane. Drinks under the stars to end a busy day.

Morning came early for Loreth as her usual habit was to be up by dawn and either on the move or making use of the sunlight. X-01 seemed to have the same habit as he was already making breakfast while she collected a few buckets of water from the pump. “I am so excited. You have a clothes lines! I wish I had known sooner!” 

A chuckle from him as he dished a can of dog food out for Dogmeat. “Just be careful of any rad storms. The sky looks pretty clear so you should be fine.” Plates for both of them were brought down from the cabinet and he slapped the cooked cram onto each before pouring warmed up beans on top of that. “Also, breakfast is done.”

Leaving the buckets at the base of the stairs that led to the roof behind the building, she scampered back inside for food. They both ate quickly in silence but again without the awkward feeling that someone needed to talk. Eating together was nice and the comfortable silence did wonders for her nerves. Once she was done eating Loreth collected the plates to clean off later but first she wanted to see the power armor start up in person.

Dressed in his Marine class body armor, the man jammed the fusion core into the power armor’s back before turning the release. Well maintained and oiled, the X-01 power armor opened smoothly and closed back around him once he stepped into it. The lights blossomed into life as the respirator kicked in and his breathing echoed through the garage. “Alright, the place is yours until I’m back. Don’t blow up my garage please.”

Offering up a half-hearted salute, she stepped out of the way and watched as he walked past. “right right, no explosions.” Admiring the smooth gait and quiet joints, Loreth marveled at the more advanced power armor. “I really want my own set now…”

He turned and chuckled at her while waiting for Dogmeat to get farewell head pats from their guest. “Maybe. I might know a group that’s looking for people.” With Dogmeat at his side he glanced to see the wince in her facial expression but chose to ignore it. “Enjoy your day, we’ll be back for dinner.” He raised a hand and headed out of the Red Rocket’s parking lot as she went back inside, neither of them sure how to respond to his invitation.

The walk down toward Sanctuary was quiet except for the heavy footfalls of his armor. Dogmeat loped along beside him at an easy pace, ranging into the brush beside the road.  _ I really hope she doesn’t have an accident back there... She’s right that she’s kept all her limbs and it’s clear she knows what she’s doing... but still. That place is my favorite refuge. _ Pausing before he started across the wooden bridge that led into Sanctuary he looked over his shoulder at the giant rocket in the distance, his sigh hissing through the respirator of the armor.  _ I also really hope she doesn’t decide to steal everything and make a run for it. After that look when I mentioned the Brotherhood was recruiting… I wonder if I should have not said that. Maybe she’ll decide I’m just like whatever other Brotherhood she’s met and take me for all I’m worth. _

That thought bothered him but he knew it was an option left open for her. He had left her with all his tools, materials, extra armor and weapons, and a terminal full of his notes from time with the Brotherhood.  _ I’m trusting her with a lot. I don’t think she’d do anything but in this world, any edge you can get is priceless. With everything left back there, she could have a serious haul _ .  _ And with how much she distrusts the Brotherhood it could be revenge for her. Sabotage even… That’s a thought for later, though. No point in worrying about it though. She’ll do what she wants and I’ll deal with whatever happens. I’d like to trust her and hope for the best. It’s worked so far, after all. _

Careful of his footing on the wooden bridge that lead into the developing city of Sanctuary he waved at the guard stationed on the other side. “Hey Sid. Just me and Dogmeat today.”

“Good to see you, Sir! Preston’s supposed to be heading in as well though he’s coming up from the Castle.” The guard leaned over the edge of his post to reach down with a piece of jerky. “Hey there Dogmeat. You keeping a good watch on Sir Deas for us?”

Barking happily, Dogmeat stretched up on his hind legs to take the morsel. Tail wagging excitedly, the treat was devoured before jogging to catch up with his owner. 

“You’re so spoiled. Going to get fat off all the treats they give you.” Deas chuckled through the helmet, the sound distorted but Dogmeat’s tail wagged all the more. “Alright, go on.” Waving his armored hand to give the signal and Dogmeat was off like a shot, yipping excitedly on the way to find some of the children that were sure to play with him.

Making his way down the street of Sanctuary, Deas watched as the settlers went about their different tasks. The little town had expanded  quickly once the institute had been taken care of. Several of the old houses had been torn down and replaced with new construction. With the addition of so many settlers the minutemen had started building a wall around the exterior complete with walkway at the top. Guards patrolled the section of completed wall as well as the more open area near the giant oak tree, watchful at all hours of the day. Teaching them how to make turrets was a brilliant idea and Deas was proud to see that several of the automated defenses sat huddled on the wall and on a few of the rooftops. _This place is really something. Might be bigger than Diamond City and definitely cleaner._

A few of the settlers paused long enough to wave and offer up a greeting as he plodded down the road. He waved back and called out a greeting to the ones he could remember by name. A few of the children already racing around with Dogmeat came right up to him crying out for the treats he usually had. “Hey hey, be careful now! I can’t see that well through the helmet and I don’t want to step on anyone.” Mindful that small children could be hidden under him, Deas pulled off his helmet and shook his head. “Alright. If you want sweets then you know the drill! Come on, scoot back so I don’t squish anyone.” 

Rehearsed from his many trips into the city, each of the children took several steps back while one of the oldest ones took up post on Deas’ left side to hold the helmet for him. A bag of sweets he had found was pulled from a pouch on his armor and he held it out for each kid to come up and take one. “Looks like everyone is accounted for?”

“Yes sir! Though one of the babies is due any day now.” Holding the helmet up so Deas could put it back on, the older kid taking their choice of candy before helping clip the back onto the power armor’s belt. “Then we’ll have one more in a few years!”

“Good to know. I’ll be heading out in a few days so I’ve got to keep my eye out for something to give the mother.” His helmet clicked into place and he waited for the kids to be on the sidewalk. “All clear? No one hiding under me?”

A round of No Sirs came from the sidewalk and he chuckled, a thumbs up given before continuing the last bit to the central house. This had gone from a run-down workshop full of holes and debris to a sturdy dwelling that housed the settlement’s leaders. When Preston had left Sanctuary to build up the minutemen from within their Castle he set a council of three to help run things. One of the three gave a quick salute to Deas before jogging over to the armored man. “Oh good you’re here! Perfect timing, sir. We’re just clearing away the smallest pieces of rubble. With your help, and that armor of yours, that ruined house can be removed and we can start scrapping it for parts!” 

“Which house? I’ll head over and help out. Afterwards, I’ll need to pick up some supplies for me and a guest at Red Rocket.” Looking down at the councilman Deas could see the tale-tell signs of both age and radiation taking its toll. Hair loss and leathery skin, a few open sores that had been bandaged, these were normal for people that had spent too much time out in the wastes.  _ Reminds me, I need to see how their medical supplies are coming along. And their water purifier…  _

“Sure thing! It’s the old yellow house on the other side of the tree. That big branch finished falling through the roof during the last storm so we’re able to get started on clearing off the lot. Damn thing had been lodged in the ceiling supports and we couldn’t really get up there until it finished falling through. I think the plan was the build a central Merchant building. All our shops in one place! We’re really excited. Trashcan Carla has even asked to have a corner spot for herself set up. Hard to say no when she’s the most reliable merchant in the commonwealth.”

“That does sound exciting. I look forward to seeing it completed.” He nodded and set a very careful hand on the councilman’s shoulder. “Let’s see if we can’t get Sanctuary to rival Diamond City, huh? Thanks for calling me in to help, George. This place is like a second home for me.” 

Pleasantries completed and knowing which direction he was needed Deas made his way down toward the designated house. They had indeed made a lot of headway into clearing out the destroyed building, much of the walls reduced to supports and debris sorted into piles of useful and garbage off to one side. A cheer went up from the other builders as his power armor came into sight and they scattered to make room for him. The settler in charge of the rebuilding project started barking orders to keep people on track except when it was time for Deas’ instructions. The order became a request to please move that or please lift this. 

“You know, you’re in charge here. You are allowed to tell me what you need done.” His voice sounded harsh through the respirator but the tone was jovial, a sheepish grin on the settlers face followed by a nod his only reply.

It took several hours of labor to get the fallen tree out of the way and the house taken apart. The team had a brief pause long enough for a lunch break which gave Deas a chance to replace the fusion core in his armor. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that breakfast had been a while ago but also that he hadn’t left much food behind for his guest. Mid-bite of the soup that had been made for the builders he suddenly requested a container be sent with one of the guards back toward Red Rocket. 

“Wait, so the mercenary that rescued all of Sunshine Tidings is at your garage?! I heard she killed fifty raiders with just a few grenades!” The others working on the house paused to hear Deas retell the actually occurrence and they were still suitably impressed. 

“One woman did all that?! Is she joining the Minutemen? Or the Brotherhood?” Quite a few other questions in regards to her looks and relationship status were thrown in but Deas decided to ignore those. He didn’t know the answer and didn’t want to speculate as to possible answers either. 

“No I haven’t asked if she was joining either group. She’s been a free agent for a while and I didn’t think it polite to ask if she had picked a side yet.” The lie came easily even as he remembered the face she made when he mentioned the brotherhood recruiting. The group accepted that and the settler in charge of the construction project reminded them that daylight was limited. Climbing back into his armor and returning to the mostly dismantled house was a welcome relief from the conversation topic of the mercenary.

His thoughts, however, lingered on her and what he had learned.  _ I hadn’t thought about really asking her to join any of the groups. She’d certainly be an advantageous addition to any settlement but she may not want to settle down. There’s a lot of people that feel safer on the move and I’m willing to bet she’s one of them. If that raider scar on her shoulder is anything to go by she’d be reluctant to draw their attention.  _ A shout as part of the wall started to buckle snapped Deas’ attention back to the job at hand. Scolding himself for not paying attention he focused on the deconstruction work and left worrying over the mercenary for later.

The rest of the day went with more manual labor as Deas helped them remove the largest pieces of the old building. The sun was beginning to set and work was paused until the next day, though the building team was excited to see how much progress had been made. Piles of reusable materials were already being broken down into manageable pieces with buckets of screws and nails being moved into the large storage barn they had constructed.

Exiting his power armor with a sigh of relief, Deas greeted George again. “Good evening! Do you guys still want me to sit in on the meeting?” At George’s affirmative response, Deas nodded and followed the councilman back to the central house after taking a moment to make sure the supplies he had ordered were left by his armor. Inside he found not only the other 2 councilors, Sturgis, and the head guard, but also Trashcan Carla leaning near the window with her usual cigarette. 

“We’re really glad you could come. There’s been some interesting reports and some unpleasant ones. Carla, want to start off?” George took his seat after Deas sat, all eyes turning to the travelling merchant.

“Oh ya. You want news? I got your news. Raiders are worse than ever now. Sunshine was just the start. I heard about your friend out there. She kicked that radant nest and so far I’ve heard about two other merchants that went missing along the west border. I even heard of a new group that’s been sending whole packs of mongrels after people.” Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Carla gestured at Deas with the cigarette in her hand. “You got rid of the institute, good work. Now what about all these new raiders?”

The rest of the meeting went along the same lines with increased reports of raider violence along the west border. Added to that was the sighting of Super mutants in the southeast that Deas promised to send his men to look into. He had hoped there would be good news, like a plentiful harvest or healthier settlers. Good news was rarer than Fancy Lad Snack Cakes and just as coveted. 

His walk back to the Red Rocket was full of dark thoughts as he contemplated the reports from Sanctuary.  _ More raiders… They’re more active now than ever before. I wonder if it’s because they know we lost a lot of good people when fighting the Institute. It’s going to be years before we ever get our numbers back up to where they had been before.  _

Rounding the last turn in the road, the Red Rocket Garage came into sight and he paused to look over the building.  _ I wonder if she’d come with me to investigate. She’s been impressive so far. Her skills could be extremely useful and from what I’ve learned she hunts raiders for sport almost.  _

The light was dim inside the garage itself but he could see the glow of firelight on the roof. “Well boy, looks like she’s upstairs. I wonder what she’s doing?” He continued his way toward the garage so that he could park the power armor. 

From the rooftop he heard a slurred “Ah’m up here. Come have a drink wit’ me.” Her voice was definitely intoxicated and he was a little concerned on just what sort of person she would be after too many drinks. All the same, he exited his power armor facing the wall away from her bed this time while Dogmeat went into his office to curl up and sleep. 

_ Everything’s cleaned up and put away, nothing looks missing or exploded so I guess there wasn’t anything to worry about after all. _ Setting the bags of supplies in the little kitchen area he then deposited his body armor into the office.  _ I wonder if she’s all done with her repairs. Might see if she wants to help me with my own project.  _ After hanging up his armor he looked down at his sweat soaked shirt and considered for just a moment switching into a cleaner one and then with a grin thought of abandoning the shirt all together _. I wouldn’t say no if she decided to get friendly. But I’d rather not take advantage of her when she’s drunk.  _

Between the two choices he decided to go with the cleaner shirt and thought making some food would help his guest keep most of her wits. Heating up some of the baked beans for her, he was pleasantly surprised to find a few bottles of nuka cola in the supplies from Sanctuary.  _ This will go well with her vodka, if she has any left. Oh, wait, no, someone added a bottle of vodka to my supplies. Maybe they were expecting it to be an interesting night tonight.  _

Meal and offering of drinks in hand, Deas made his way up to the rooftop to see how his guest was faring. He didn’t expect to find her lounging on top of a sleeping bag looking up at the stars, her thin tank top and leather pants recently washed and devoid of the usual oils from her work. With the firelight on the opposite side of her, the lighting cut through the shirt to show off her figure and leave little to the imagination. 

“Welcome home boss-man! Thanks for the lunch earlier. Was great!” Rolling over onto her side, her smile was one sided but wide as she propped her head up on her hand. “Gave me the strength I needed to finish up all my work.” She started to sit up and he watched as she staggered a little, the alcohol clearly getting to her head. 

“Looks like dinner is needed. I don’t want you waking up with a hangover.” He came over and set the bowl of baked beans in front of her along with the Nuka Cola. “Especially since I was hoping you’d help me with a project of my own tomorrow seeing as how you’re done with yours.”

His own bowl of beans was balanced on the arm of the chair as he sat down. She started eating with the usual exuberance while he sipped at the Nuka Cola. He didn’t think she had noticed the bottle of vodka that he had set down next to the leg of his chair and he was planning on saving it for after she had eaten something. “I brought up some water, too. You’re probably going to want it.”

She nodded as the last few bites were finished off. “You’re right. And hey... I gotta ask, because it’s been bothering me all day...” scooting closer to him with a curious look, she paused as if hesitant on asking the question. “Are you really with the Brotherhood? Because that guy from earlier was definitely with the Minutemen. He even called you General but I heard the BoS guys call you Sentinal. Sooo...Which is it?”

“I started with the minutemen and I’m the one that originally helped build up Sanctuary.” A somber look took over his face as he ate, eyes focused on the bowl in front of him. “I realized today, it’s been several years.” His last bite was chewed slowly while she watched his face. “But after Sanctuary was started and going strong and we got the Castle up and running, I started working with the Brotherhood to try and keep things safe. It took some climbing but I made it near the top so I could make sure the groups worked hand in hand. It’s the only way the commonwealth is ever going to get better.”

Somewhere in his rambling she had lain back down on the sleeping bag to look up at the sky again. “That makes sense, you know?” Her voice was soft, an odd tone to it that made him think she was remembering something.

“What does?” Watching her and the way she lay in the starlight, Deas was distracted for a moment before tuning back to her words.

“I knew you were different. You don’t act or sound like anyone else I’ve ever met. I just couldn’t place it.” Sitting up again, she smirked as if she had found out a big secret. “You’re the Vault Dweller I’ve heard about on the radio, aren’t you. The one that did all those amazing things.”

It had been a very long time since someone called him a Vault Dweller. Longer still since the last time he felt color bloom on his face. “What? Oh ... The radio show.... Right... Now listen, a lot of that was exaggerated.”

For someone who had clearly drank too much she was able to move with surprising speed as she sat up and braced both her hands on his knees, torso between his thighs. “You ARE the vault dweller! I’ve heard a lot about you but I never expected to actually meet you! I read the article, too, that Piper printed. Were you really frozen for two hundred years?!”

Exhaling as he gently moved her out from between his knees, color tinting his face but he chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Ya, two hundred and ten years.” Reaching down by his foot he produced the partially hidden bottle of vodka. “How about this, you sit back over there and join me in a drink and I’ll tell you a little bit.”

She complied, sitting back on the sleeping bag with her legs crossed looking very much like a child eager for a story. He poured them both a shot of vodka and added some Nuka Cola to it, handing her one glass before sitting back into the patio chair with the other. “Alright, so, I was originally in the army before the bombs dropped and as a thank you for my service, my ... family was given space in the local vault.”

Her eyes widened a little as she slowly sipped her drink. “Your Family? So a wife and the son you were looking for?” 

Nodding as he drank half of his own mix before continuing, his fingers tapped the deactivated Pipboy on his left wrist. “Vault 111 turned out to be another experiment by Vault Tec. This one was a cryogenic experiment but it... failed. My son and myself were the only survivors after the vault was tampered with.”

Withholding a lot of details for brevity and because he wasn’t entirely sure how much to trust her with but at the same time, it was nice to tell someone what had happened without them really judging him. As he told his story, having reached the part where he met with the brotherhood at first, she was laying on her side with her head propped up on her hand. The drink had been finished and it was clear she was starting to doze off. That was actually fine with him and he found it almost cathartic to talk about how much things had changed in the two centuries that he had been on ice.

Eyes barely staying open and her head pillowed on her folded arm now, she reached out to gently tug his pant leg. “Wai’ ... So ... You ever fin’ ‘im?” 

Pouring himself a second drink as he watched her struggle to stay awake. “Yes, and no. It’s a longer story and I’m not sure I want to share it.” His second drink was finished in one gulp and by the time he lowered the glass she was asleep with a hand still resting by his ankle. 

“I meant to ask... I don’t know your name. But thank you. It’s been a while since I felt comfortable talking to someone.” A tiny smile touched her lips and he sat back in the chair to watch the stars  while finishing his third and final shot. Before he felt too tired he stood and carefully picked up his guest to carry down the stairs. 

Tucking her into the bed in the garage he then went to his bed in the office. Dogmeat was sprawled out on the rug but looked up confused. He looked between his owner and the door curious perhaps why only one person was coming in. 

“Listen, you, she’s had a lot to drink and I am not about to take advantage of her.” Removing his shoes and shirt before laying back on his bed it took him a while to stop thinking about how comfortable he had been with her, talking with her. “You’re a fool. She’ll be leaving in a few days so try to not get attached.”

Dogmeat yawned loudly after hearing his owner and got up to pad quietly through the Red Rocket. A muffled curse from the garage got him to chuckle as he realized Dogmeat had crawled into bed with his guest. “Pervy dog...”


	4. Rumor Mill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little awkward but they're getting along. What better way to get to know someone then learn all the rumors about them! Surely the neighbors will talk?

Dawn came and Deas was making breakfast while she still slept, Dogmeat having curled up at the foot of her bed. The smell of cooking got her attention though and it wasn’t long before he heard movement as she emerged looking pretty rough. Clearly she hadn’t slept well but Deas had passed out and had no memory of any noise coming from the garage.

Rubbing the palms of her hands over her eyes, Loreth dropped onto the nearest stool and yawned wide. Her shirt was a rumpled mess with one of the straps sliding down her shoulder and loosely braided hair curling free of it’s restraint. When Deas set the plate of food on the Bartop next to her he also paused to slide her strap back to its rightful place.

Her skin was warm against the back of his finger, softer than he expected too, and when she looked up at him his heart stuttered for a moment. He hadn’t noticed before that her eyes were brown with streaks of faint green mixed through. Freckles across her nose and cheek were joined by fainter ones across her forehead, partially hidden by side-swept auburn hair. They were close enough that for only a moment, barely a heartbeat, he considered leaning down and closing the gap.

_ He’s so close... And so warm. How mad would he be if I leaned in for a kiss? _ Loreth sat a little straighter so they were closer still, barely a handbreadth between them, her eyes holding his looking for some sign of permission, acceptance, or really any sign of how he felt.

His hand now resting on her shoulder while leaning in close enough that both held their breath waiting for the other to make the first move.They had no way to see the traveling merchant pausing outside Red Rocket to shout a greeting at Deas. His sudden gruff voice snapped both of them away from each other as their faces turned bright red from embarrassment. Deas moved outside to chat with the trader, giving her space to control her breathing and heart rate while he was grateful for the fresh air.

Chatting quietly with the merchant, Deas glanced over his shoulder a few times to see if his guest was still eating breakfast. An audible sigh escaped him as he watched her make quick work of the meal and disappear into the garage.  _ Well damn… I guess she was actually upset. Damn it. I had to be pushy. I knew she didn’t like Brotherhood and here I am trying to be something else. _

_ GOD DAMMIT!  _ Scrubbing her hands over her face as she leaned back from her cleaned plate.  _ So close and yet interrupted. Maybe it’s for the best. He’s brotherhood and I’m a mercenary. What was I thinking? Seriously...  _ Setting her breakfast plate on the counter she went back into the garage just as he was coming in.  _ I can’t look at him right now, I gotta clear my head. What was I -thinking-. He’s not going to want anything to do with me. _

A quick farewell to the merchant and Deas headed back into the Red Rocket to see her empty stool and plate on the counter.  _ She’s already done eating. And from the sounds of it she’s getting her gear ready to go? Is she leaving because of what I did? I shouldn’t have been so close. I knew she didn’t like the Brotherhood but I … I was a jackass. And now she’s mad.  _ He sat at the bar to eat his own cold breakfast in sullen silence with Dogmeat at his feet. A disgruntled sigh came from the dog got Deas attention and he looked down to see the most Knowing Expression. “What? Don’t give me that. Just because you slept with her doesn’t mean you can tease me.”

Heaving another sigh while thinking about how this reminds him of an old radio drama, Deas got up to clean the dishes while wishing he could just ask her how she felt.  _ Am I reading too much into this? Is she interested and disappointed we got interrupted? Or am I just being extremely hopeful.  _

Dressed again in her leather jacket and thicker pants, heavy boots, and hair braided back into a tight bun Loreth was buckling the last few pieces of her leather armor into place.  _ I know Sanctuary is just over the bridge and heavily guarded, but I also need to make sure people see me as confident. Can’t very well get jobs if I look weak or unprepared _ . Once her shotgun was holstered and her newsie cap in place Loreth headed back out to the main area. Deas was sitting there with Dogmeat’s head on his knee and 

_ I think he’s actually sulking... No, I’m probably just seeing things. _ “Hey, I’m heading out. I’m leaving my main bag here though, kinda to show I’m coming back.” She felt awkward as she came over to him, her eyes shielded by sunglasses to hide how she searched his face for any sign of emotion.

“Sure. I’ll be in the garage when you get back most likely. Don’t worry, I won’t mess with your stuff.” He never looked up at her and something in his shoulders made her wonder if he was still embarrassed. “Gives me time to do some maintenance on the Power Armor.”

Standing there trying to think of something to say she felt awkward and just shrugged. “Right. Well … I’ll be back.” He only nodded as she turned to leave, her hands in her pockets and Dogmeat trotting at her heels.

There was a lot to think about as she made her way to the settlement and it was nice to have Dogmeat coming with her. Someone else to talk to was always appreciated. “You know... I think I may have upset your master. I’m sorry, you know. I didn’t do it on purpose.” The dog looked up at her with a tilted head and it almost looked like he understood. “You know what I mean, right? I really didn’t expect him to be into me. I mean, I’m just a mercenary and he’s some upper brass with the BoS guys.”

Dogmeat snorted some which to Loreth sounded an awful lot like he disagreed with her.  _ Relationship advice from a dog… I’ve actually lost my mind I think. _

“What, you really think it won’t matter? Cuz I’ll have you know that man won’t know what hit him. And I don’t mean in my usual violent way. More of a ... I hope he slept well the night before kind of way.” Smirking at that, Loreth crossed the bridge toward Sanctuary and waved at the nearby guard. “Hey there! Just comin’ to do some trading.”

Sid leaned on the top of his guard station to wave back. “Well hello there! Dogmeat, you bringing up the boss’ guest to see the town, huh?” A yip from the dog and Sid chuckled before waving at Loreth. “Welcome to Sanctuary. You’re the merc that saved Sunshine, right? Don’t get a big head but the news spreads pretty quick.”

“Oh ya? Good. Going to make it easier to find my next job that way! Though I gotta restock before I can pull that stunt again.” Reaching down to pat Dogmeat’s head, Loreth glanced toward the central area of town.  _ This place is probably bigger than Diamond City almost. Maybe even more people. And shit, there’s kids running around even! Don’t see that too often. _

“Well you got some good timing. Just had a vendor come in, fully loaded too, from what I hear! Should have just about everything you’ll need! Plus Carla’s stopped in for another day so she may have some supplies left along with all her gossip.” Sid held his usual bit of jerky down for Dogmeat while he answered.

“Sweet. Well boy, you gonna go do your own thing or escort me around?” Her companion’s answering yip before running off brought a laugh out of Loreth. “I guess I’m on my own then! Thanks for the heads up.”

Her shopping went pretty quick but it was the gossiping that took the longest. Talk of super mutants being spotted close to Ten Pines as well as the usual feral ghouls by the train station. Loreth made it a point to dodge offers to look into it, mentioning she was going to be at the Red Rocket for a few more days. That sparked a new conversation that she worked to derail quickly.

“Listen, I take it it’s kinda new he’s got company over. But I don’t wanna gossip about my host, you know.” What she said didn’t match the way she leaned closer to the others, intent on anything they had to say.

“Ooooh, don’t want to gossip. Well now that makes sense. I guess it’s a good thing you spoke up then. I’d hate to tell you about how he’s done wonders for our settlement. It’s his handy work with the turrets. And he’s the one that worked with the minutemen to give us a safe place.” The bartender slid over Loreth’s order of bourbon and grinned. “Hell, he worked with Sturges to get those water purifiers up and running too.”

 One of the other vendors gave Loreth a gentle nudge with his shoulder. “I was over-hearing. Figured I’d offer up my own two caps worth of opinion.” A chuckle and he nodded toward the gang of kids running around with Dogmeat. “We’re safe enough to have kids because of General Deas and the work he’s done to get the Brotherhood and Minutemen working together. Even if you’re just looking for good paying jobs he’s one to keep in touch with.” The vendor grinned again and stood to leave. “Though speaking of jobs, I heard Carla mention a few interesting ones you might like.”

A brief salute with her glass in thanks, Loreth downed the end of her bourbon. “I’ll go chat with her next then! Need to find something fun after a week of resting and no one knows the commonwealth like Carla.”

Finding Carla was easy and the merchant was quick to unload some of her rumors while Loreth repaired a few of Carla’s goods. Knowledge wasn’t free but knowing she could sell working desk fans was worth the hour of conversation.

“So more raiders lately. A significant number too, from the sounds of it.” Loreth gave the fan a final test, basking in the breeze from it for a moment. “Minutemen and Brotherhood are pretty good at hunting down their main camps. Maybe I can get in on it though.” 

The hour of chatting and gossiping with both Carla and other settlers meant Loreth gathered a lot of info on her host as well. None of it was bad, either. A lot of people knew him and knew he was working with both the BoS and the Minutemen. _ Damn, he’s a regular savior. If I didn’t know any better I’d say he’s actually stopped to talk to everyone. It’s like he’s a part of this community _ . Seated outside one of the vendor stalls while she rearranged her bag’s contents her thoughts wandered over all that she had heard.

_ Kind of like how I’m in the rumors too. Doesn’t even sound that exaggerated. I wonder if that’s because of him. He doesn’t seem the sort to spread lies. _ Her bag was packed and hoisted onto a shoulder.  _ Time to head back, have some lunch, then see if he wants to work on whatever project he was wanting help with _ .


	5. Hands On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back from her shopping and info gathering, Loreth starts helping Deas with his Mysterious Project. This is a just what they needed to really get to know each other and might even lead to other fun things!

Heading back to Red Rocket was lonely at first until Dogmeat caught up to her. “You have fun? I sure did. And had some time to think.” An inquisitive whine from the dog encouraged her to continue as they walked down the road to the gas station. “Well, I think maybe it’s too early, you know? I kind of want things to actually work out. I may see if he’d be up for a .... a slower start. Might be what I need to settle down once and for all.”

Dogmeat barked once with a happy sound, his lower half wagging before running off ahead toward the Red Rocket. She shouted after him before joining in the jog. “Don’t go telling him what I said, mutt! That was just between us!”

The two returned to the garage and found X-01 putting together his power armor after having finished the maintenance work it needed. He had ditched his shirt, the garnet hanging on the arm of the power station and Loreth got a chance to admire the sturdy physique that came with years of military service. Like many of those in some form of service a pair of dog tags hung around his neck as well as a single ring.  _ That must have been his wife’s. Looks too small for him.  _ Setting her bag down on the bed while he screwed the last leg plate in place, she caught sight of the wedding ring still on his hand.  _ And there’s his. Kind of proof enough that he probably won't want to keep a mercenary around. He’s still true to her.  _

“Since you two are so active, why don’t you do me a favor and help out with the project I had mentioned earlier?” He looked over at a panting Dogmeat sprawled out on the garage floor. “Or did shopping wear you out?”

Grinning wide as she removed the leather armor she wore, Loreth nodded toward the suit. “Does it mean I get to help look over that? I’d love a chance to see more of how it works.” Exhaling gratefully as she removed the stiff leather vest she also tossed a quick glance at Deas.  _ Huh, must be the lighting but I think he’s a little pink. Maybe Dogmeat’s actually on to … did I just agree with a dog?  _

“No, but I think it’s something you’ll enjoy even more.” He stood to clean his hands on a rag while looking anywhere but at her. “Take a seat and I’ll show you the project I mentioned.” Moving things off the pile in the corner he unveiled the bulky object with a flourish, whipping the tarp to the side. “Here it is!”

Loreth stared at the revealed motorbike with an arched brow and very confused expression. It had clearly been taken apart and cleaned up, much of the rust gone and some of the parts either new or repaired. “You’re actually trying to get one of these to work? I thought they needed some old fuel that’s been all used up.”

“See, that’s where I was hoping you could help. I’m trying to convert it into using Fusion Cores, like my power armor, instead of the fuel that we don’t have access too anymore. I’ve built enough power armor that I think I can do it but having someone else who knows their way around machines to help me on the wiring part would make this easier.”

Coming to crouch next to him so she could get a better look, Loreth grinned and gave a shrug. “Sure! In exchange you can tell me more about what life was like before the bombs?”

“Deal.” The two shook hands and before he released hers he added “And can you tell me your name?”

“Oh ya, we never actually got introduced, huh? I’m Loreth. No nickname or anything.” It felt a little awkward with her hand still in his after the deal had been made.  _ His hand is warm. And this close I can see I was right! He was blushing. _

“Nice to meet you Loreth. My name is Deasmonius though most just call me Deas.” One last shake of the hand and he released hers before collecting the tools needed for the work.

“Much better than calling you X-01 in my head. I had heard your name in Sanctuary, along with a bunch of rumors but it didn’t seem right to use it without a proper introduction.” A sheepish laugh and she started moving the bike out of the corner so they could work on it easier. 

He laughed as the large tool chest was wheeled over and a stool was unfolded. “Really? That’s what you were calling me?” 

“I mean, at the start it was stuff like Asshole and BoS brass, and a couple other things. But you proved to be... I dunno... You’re definitely not like the Brotherhood from down south that I had a few run ins with.” Pulling over a small crate to use as her own seat, Loreth sat on the opposite side of the bike from him and examined how the wiring was being done.

A bit surprised that she was from the south, he looked around the top of the bike at her. “South? How far?” He worked loose the exterior cover so she could see the modifications he had already started on.

“Oh ya, I came up from the DC area. The Brotherhood down there are basically all assholes, so you can probably see why I was violent. I can’t tell you how many times they came in at the last second to take credit for my team’s work and then take all the good loot, too.”

“Definitely makes sense now. I haven’t worked with any of them from the south yet but I’ve been making some progress on cooperating with the Minutemen and I think together we’ve really made a difference in the commonwealth.” He focused on his hands but at the same time felt hyper aware of how she glanced over the bike at him.  _ Did that sounds arrogant? She’s so easy to talk to though, and she doesn’t seem to really care who I am or my rank. Maybe that just sounded too practiced? _

The two continued their chit-chat that started off a little stiff but eased up after comfortably working together for several hours while Dogmeat watched over them. Now and then the dog would hop off the bed where he had sprawled to come investigate their work. A nudge to Deas’ arm followed by a knowing look had the man wondering just -how smart- Dogmeat was.  _ If I didn’t know any better, he’s trying to get me closer to her. Damn even my dog is playing matchmaker! _

Upgrading the motorbike was slow going until the two of them started working side by side. Eventually they moved closer than that as they tried to troubleshoot the power not reaching the engine itself.

They found the source of the problem but reaching it was going to be difficult. After struggling with it for a few minutes they found the best arrangement was to have Deas supporting a section of the chassis they had worked loose.From there most of the hard work was getting Loreth's smaller hands into the mechanism so she could jimmy the cables back into place. This meant she would have to sit between his knees with his arms on either side of her and his chest only inches from her back. 

As close as they were now, Deas found his attention wavering from watching her work to instead watching her. His cheek was only inches from the side of her head which gave him an opportunity to count the small freckles across her nose and cheek. He could see a small scar next to her temple and admire the lighter red streaks in her hair when she moved. The faint scent of soap still clung to her skin along with sweat and oil from their work. Amusingly, a grease smudge streaked across her cheek when she brushed stray bits of hair out of her eyes. The temptation to close the few scant inches between them was there, palpable to him as she tilted her head a little toward him to get a better look.

_ If she were to turn her head a little more and look up at me our lips could touch. I bet she's warm, skin a little rough from the dry air but she looks strong. Those small hands areat least, talented, probably unbutton a shirt easily. Streaks of grease where she pulls away the fabric, my hands on her back feeling the raised scarring. Her hair would fall loose like a curtain as I pull free the ribbon, cement cool against my back as she leans over me. Bare legs are probably tanned from all her time outside, muscular and strong as she shifts her weight, warm and... _

"Seriously, did you fall asleep with your eyes open?" Her forehead bumped into his jaw, shattering the daydream with the crack.

"Shit, what? Oh ... Uh ... sorry. I was thinking about what to make for dinner?" 

"Well, move your hands, I'm done now, and go make food. I'll heat up some water and wash all this grease off me." She sounded irritated and he could understand why. It registered, finally, that she had been trying to get his attention for a few minutes. 

"Right. Sorry." Standing carefully so as to not bump her or move the crate she was using for balance, Deas escaped to the cooking area where she couldn't see the sheepish look on his face. Pulling the cooler of meat down off a shelf so he could start cooking up a few mirelurk filets, Deas couldn't help but be upset with himself.

_ I can't keep being distracted by her. She's smart, and pretty, and easy to talk to. But she clearly doesn't trust the Brotherhood. What makes me think she's willing to get tangled up with me and all the possible baggage my rank would come with? Admittedly, I'm alright with being tangled up with her, but she's not likely to return that sentiment...  _

Carefully turning the filets over before starting up a box of Blamco Mac and Cheese, his attention wavered for a moment as she walked through the main room with a cloth draped over her shoulder. Her steps slowed for a moment as she sniffed the air and he couldn't help but chuckle. "I hope mirelurk is alright?"

"So who ratted me out?" Her voice was playful and he turned to see her leaning on the old countertop.

"Pardon?" Deas came closer though kept several paces between himself and the counter so that he could still pay attention to the food.

"Just that mirelurk's my favorite. That and stews. You may have a tough time getting rid of me if you keep feeding me like this." Her wide smirk grew wider still as he fidgeted with the spatula in his hand. _Something I said?_ _He's been really distracted lately. I wonder why?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when he turned back to the stove with a wave over his shoulder. "Well go get cleaned up then, because it's almost done." 

Loreth actually chuckled as she scampered through the rest of the room and outside to where the water pump was. He tried not to pay close attention to what was happening just around the corner from him, the Red Rocket was not particularly large after all and he could hear her humming. 

_ Getting some real sleep and food has definitely improved her mood. I wonder if that's all it takes to make her happy. _ Shaking his head quickly, knocking the idea out of his head. Dogmeat's cold nose touched his hand making him jump. "You're hungry too, aren't you boy? Good thing I picked you up some food, huh? Let me chop this up for you real quick."

Moving over to the counter where he had some mole rat meat sitting and waiting, Deas glanced down the hall toward the open door that looked outside and caught a glimpse of her. The usual tank top was missing and in the sunlight he could see the sharp contrast of the scars and brand, her back to the open door as she cleaned off the sweat. 

Dogmeat whimpered quietly, catching his owner's attention again, and resolutely stood next to the human and made sure the offering of mole rat meat actually got chopped up.  

"Sorry boy. Here you go." One dish of meat delivered to his dog, Deas cast a last glance out the door to see her stand and stretch, tank top pulled on and leather pants slung low on her hips. Still only seeing her back there was a moment to appreciate how her taut muscles stretched along her side and her reddish-brown hair caught the sunlight. Retreating back to the cook stove, though, he focused on serving up their lunch and banishing the mental image of her in the sunlight from his thoughts.

She kept the extra cloth draped over her shoulder and he assumed it was a mix between washcloth and towel as one corner was soaked and streaked with grease and dirt. A length of twine was quickly wrapped around her gathered hair, pulling it back from her face. When she turned around to head back into the Red Rocket it was hard for her to miss how he had been staring. 

“Like what you see?” She smirked as she sat down onto the stool. 

“Can’t blame a man for admiring a nice view.” Food was served up and he handed a very excited mercenary her plate of mirelurk steaks. “Eat up while it’s hot. I was thinking maybe having a few drinks before bed tonight.”

A mouth half full of food meant she could not reply but Loreth could nod with a smile. Swallowing the deliciously warm food, she gestured back toward the garage where her stuff was. “They had some whiskey at Sanctuary that I picked up. We can share that and see if maybe the sky’s clear enough to see the stars.”

“Sounds good. A nice evening of relaxing before we dive back into working on the bike tomorrow?” Deas leaned into the counter, watching the outside while trying to clear the images of Loreth from his head.

_ He’s still distracted… I wonder if I said or did something.  _ Loreth watched him from the corner of her eye as she finished the dinner he had made. The meal was delicious, likely the best she had eaten in a while. They ate with very little conversation but it felt less comfortable and more stiff than before.  _ I really must have messed up somewhere. Hopefully the drinks will loosen him up and he’ll tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize. I keep telling myself to not get attached but he’s -different- and I guess I couldn’t help myself. I’d rather him not be upset with me. _

Deas glanced at her as well and felt a bit guilty that he wasn’t talking much. There was a lot he wanted to say but it was hard to figure out what to start with. A look at both their plates confirmed the meal had passed by faster then anticipated and he let like the blame was on him for how awkward it felt.

He had decided earlier that day that he was interested in perhaps becoming closer to Loreth. Long ago, it felt like an entire lifetime ago, he had courted his wife and must have done a good job of it since she had married him. But Loreth was extremely different from his deceased wife.  _ Hell, the world is nothing like what my wife could have survived. She went to law school and enjoyed her morning coffee too much. Wine in the evening and a relaxing afternoon in the park are impossible to experience now. Loreth has never gone to a movie or gone for ice cream. All the usual dates and cute things I did once are gone now.  _

“Hey, Deas, I’ve got a few things left to put away after my shopping. If you want to, though, we can meet on the roof for drinks.” She stood without waiting for him to respond and as she set her dish on the counter he knew she was upset. 

_ Alright Deas. You’re an asshole.  _ Standing as well he reached out to just brush his fingers on her forearm. “Loreth. I’m sorry if I’m distant. Roof for drinks sounds good though. I got something that I think you’ll enjoy, maybe make up for my weird behavior.” 

“Alright. Give me a bit and I’ll meet you up there. Sun sets here in a bit. Might be a nice view.” Loreth gave him a small smile, not quite forced but not as open as before. 

She had lied to him about needing to pack things and instead she made busy-sounding noises as she past the time.  _ I’m not stalling. I’m just … Alright, so I’m stalling a little. All his weird behavior today, not sure what he’s up to. Is he bored of me? I mean, I’m not surprised. I definitely don’t snap to attention when he comes in the room, don’t mindlessly follow orders, and like hell I’m going to just sit in awe of him.  _ Moving a few things back into her toolkit, Loreth glanced at the open door of the garage with furrowed brows.  _ But then again, he didn’t seem to expect that out of the men that I saw him with. Maybe instead of being bored of me, instead he’s interested? We did get pretty cozy during the work earlier.  _

The thought that maybe Deas was being quiet because he had developed feelings for her, a mercenary, a free agent, sort of startled her and she laughed out loud. “Proof I’ve lost my mind. Must be the rads getting to me.” Running her hand through her hair, Loreth thought for a moment and dug through her backpack. Buried in one of her pockets was a comb and a hair clip she had found ages ago. Pretty cut glass ‘gems’ filled in what was probably some type of bug but she had never learned the name of it. Some of the glass pieces were missing but she liked it all the same. 

Out of practice with the skill she still managed to braid her hair back so that the clip sat at the back of her head. Switching to one of her nicer shirts and dusting her leather pants off, Loreth finally made her way up to the roof.

Deas had the same idea as her and she noticed he was in a different shirt from dinner, more relaxed looking and less official.He lounged on the chair with Dogmeat next to him and a glass of something dark on the arm of his chair. When he heard her coming up Deas sat straight and started to stand. It was a little awkward at first as Deas poured her a drink and waited for her to sit down before taking his own seat. They sat in silence for a few moments, neither of them looking at the other and Dogmeat sitting confused between them.

“It’s really nice out tonight. Good breeze.” The cup was swirled in her hand, liquid sloshing up the sides but never spilling. 

“Ya, you can almost see the stars.” His sideways glance watched the lantern light play across her features, twinkling off the hair clip she wore. “The clip is really pretty. Was it a gift?”

“Hmm? Oh, no, I found it off in some ruined housein Washington. Thought it was pretty so I kept it.” Loreth brushed some of her errant strands back behind her ear and jumped when he turned toward her fully. “Was there… Something you wanted to say? You’ve been really quiet all day.”

The awkward feeling came back and Loreth watched as Deas fidgeted with his untouched glass. Eventually he looked back up at her and exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry I’ve been so out of it for today. And I don’t want you to think I’m overstepping or anything.” Taking a sip of his rum and nuka cola, Deas set the glass aside so that his hands would stop fussing. “You’re very different from anyone else I’ve met. Strong, smart, funny, and intuitive. I’ve learned a lot about you but I… “ His words faltered when he saw the bright red color spreading from her ears down her neck. “I would like a chance to get to know you a bit more.” 

Stunned wasn’t the word she would use, shocked maybe. Taking a drink finally, and approving of the flavor, Loreth set her glass next to his and leaned forward in her chair with her arms braced on her knees. “So you’re not gonna sell me out, and you’re not bored of me.” That smirk on her face told him that she was teasing but the words still stung a little. “I was… Kind of hoping that’s why you were quiet. You’d been staring a lot so I was thinking either there was something on my face or maybe the view was distracting enough.”

It was his turn to blush a bit but he reached for the drink again, one elbow resting on his chair arm. He didn’t meet her gaze but felt her staring. “Listen, among all your qualities you are also very attractive.”

Loreth only smirked wider as she sat back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other and the drink cradled in her hand. She enjoyed it and wanted to savor the treat and watching him squirm a little was amusing. “So, getting to know each other. Does that mean we make polite talk for a little bit before the rest of the fun?”

Deas wasn’t expecting that response and almost choked on his drink while stifling a laugh. “No, I was thinking of just chatting. Actually getting to know you. I was … I was serious about that.”

Now it was Loreth’s turn to be surprised. “Ah. I’m … shocked. But that might be nice. Usually the ‘getting to know you’ part is just code for getting into bed.” A part of her was almost hopeful that they might actually work out. He was going to be traveling a lot while working with the brotherhood and minutemen. Surely he wouldn’t mind if she did her own traveling, took her own jobs. It could be nice though, having someone to go back to, to look forward to. Someone that would worry about her and be excited to see her again.

The way he sat, the intent focus he puts on her as if memorizing her features, she had to smile at it. “Listen, Deas, I guess I should tell you at least a little bit. Sort of… Like a warning, I guess?” Her drink was finished so the glass was set aside. Hands crossed behind her head she looked up at the stars rather then at him. “I came up here from the Washington area after my settlement was attacked.”

“A few of us were kept as slaves for the raiders and they were bringing us back to their main base. It was… Not an easy time. I got away with one of the other women by killing the raider captain that had claimed us. That’s his shotgun that I use and it’s been my life’s goal to wipe out as many raider camps as I can. Prevent that sort of thing from happening to other people. The scar on my back is their brand. I crossed it off myself when I killed the last one.” 

“Denise, the woman that escaped with me, it was her idea to come down to Boston. We worked as mercenaries together for several years and built up a real decent team. One of our last jobs together was to take out a small camp of raiders. We took care of them easy enough but it was Brotherhood that showed up once we were done and they took any ammo and weapons we had found. Without the added ammo, well… our job after that didn't end well. I made it out but barely. Denise died to radiation and Irene to an infection.”

Loreth watched his face as he digested the tale, sipping his own drink before setting the empty glass aside. Leaning down next to his chair he flipped open a cooler and produced a second bottle of Nuka Cola and the bottle of rum to pour refills. “That explains the willingness to take on that job for so little.” Handing her the fresh drink, Deas sat back in his own chair and thought about what she had said. “Is that why you keep on the move? To make sure raiders can’t find you again? Or because you’ve not found another team to work with?” Loreth only nodded as she sipped the drink, her eyes back to watching the stars instead of him.

_ This is a test. She wants to know if I’ll judge or maybe? If I’d rather protect her? I’ve seen her work, she doesn’t need a guardian or walls to hide behind. That would be an insult to her. I think I’d rather tell her about my idea and see if she’d be willing to help me. Maybe do that later, though. Focus on this first.  _

“There’s a few rumors going around, about how you’re the best one to hire for raiders or ghouls. Fearless, skilled, reliable. The minutemen have mentioned you a few times but I never realized they were talking about just one person. I wonder if maybe they don't know about your team passing on.” He frowned and gave her a salute with the glass before drinking again. “If anyone can take out raiders it’s you. But it’s a big task. You’ll let me know if you ever need backup, right? It’s not easy going alone so I’d be honored to join you.”

_ So he didn’t decide to shelter me, hide me away from the mean raiders. I also had no idea those rumors were still going around.. I like that he doesn’t feel the need to protect me.  _ “If I end up needing backup? Sure. Never hurts to have a little armor in the wait, you know?”

A smile and he reached across the gap between them to brush the back of his fingers across hers. “And you know, wanting to get back at those that hurt you? Normal, really. I went through a lot to find the ones that took my son. To pay back those that had the audacity to make an already devastating situation worse.” The bitterness in his voice was proof enough that he was still healing from the experiences even though it had been years. 

“So we’re both kinda buried under baggage.” Her laugh was bitter but she visibly relaxed, reached back toward him to curl her fingers around his. “I kinda like that idea. Broken people helping each other. I’ve been on my own for a while but it could be nice to have someone to meet up with now and then. Someone to worry about me.”

Their evening passed comfortably with the two of them chatting about things like settlements they enjoyed visiting. Their plans for the future depended a lot on what other people wanted from them so they didn’t bring the topic up for long. Both of them agreed that staying in one place would be hard but having a place where they could meet up would be possible. He almost convinced her to come see the airport but she decided that the Red Rocket was nice. Quiet. A good place to rest and heal up. By the time the moon reached the highest point in the sky they had finished off the bottle of rum and staggered back to their separate beds.

Deas laid awake another hour, hopeful that now he had found someone that he could truly be with. Someone that would understand his need to complete duties and someone that would have their own livelihood. He knew she would have that free-spirit need to travel and being a mercenary meant taking jobs all over the commonwealth. As he fell asleep, a small smile on his lips, he felt for the first time in a long while that things might actually be going well for him.

In the garage, however, Loreth lay awake trying to decide just how she felt about this. Deas was clearly a good man, honest and trustworthy. She had been living here for nearly a week and he had never once made her worried or frightened. He was easy to talk to, comfortable to be around, and he didn’t seem to be like some of the other men she had met that wanted to keep her safe.

Laying on the bed, drunk enough that her body felt heavy but her eyes wouldn’t close so her mind explored all over the different pros and cons of actually being with Deas. There were fewer cons then she had pros. It was definitely in her favor, considering the resources she’d have available and the fact that he was just in general a good person. 

_ But he’s brotherhood _ . So far the Brotherhood had been nothing but trouble, greedy and uncaring bastards.  _ I wonder if he’s different because he’s actually from before the bombs. Before all this radiation and madness. I had heard stories about life before the war from some of the ghouls in Good Neighbor. They did say that society was different, less violent and more focused on money then anything else. There wasn’t a need to fend off beast attacks or raiders, no radiation or disease like we have now. This world, they always told me, was toxic in more ways than just the radiation _


	6. Starting Fires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a day of crossed wires and curious glances the two get back to work on trying to rebuild the Old World Motorbike. Chances are good they work on building something else in the process. Dogmeat will be so proud of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those that would appreciate the head’s up, there’s some alluded to sex but no details on the act itself. PG-13 at most, if anyone’s concerned. I’m considering writing a separate one-shot for the really detailed bit though it would be my first attempt at right a real Love Scene. If there’s enough interesting I may try my hand at it. Just let me know in the comments please!

Morning came with Loreth barely sleeping through the night while her might worked over the last few days. Dressing and washing her face before he was up, she started heating up something for breakfast. By the time he left his room, wincing a little from what she assumed could only be a hangover, the plate of beans and cram was done.

Taking the plate of breakfast from her he was surprised but grateful. A glass of water was set next to him and she grinned as a feather-light kiss was planted on his temple. Having spent all night trying to decide how she felt about him ended with her deciding to go for it. See how far this went and enjoy it while it lasted. The chances were pretty high it wouldn’t be long but that was fine. As often as people died it was hard to get attached to one partner and expect it to last.

Talking around an enthusiastic mouth full of food, Deas turned to her. “Think we can work a little more on the bike today? I think we’re close to getting it to power up. Once we can get that we can work toward seeing if it will really drive.” 

Nodding as she finished her own food, Loreth watched as Dogmeat settled between them again. “Ya, I wanna see if we can get it to work. I’ve always wanted to see one of them in action, you know? Their wrecks are all over the place.”

Yesterday he had seemed awkward and unsure but now that everything was out in the open he was back to his casual comfortable self. As they set to work on the Lone Wanderer bike the two fell back into their previous camaraderie. She still felt extremely aware of every time they touched but it never felt forced or awkward. His hand enveloping hers as they reach for the same tool sent a spark through her skin, heart beat picking up pace but it all felt -right- somehow. 

Lunch came and went, the two eating quickly before diving back into their project. Laughter and conversation slowed the progress they were making but it didn’t matter as the company was as healing as a good night’s rest. A few times they sang off-key with the radio, competing to see who could butcher the lyrics the most. Dogmeat’s addition of howling didn’t help matters as both humans dissolved into laughter and the dog abandoned his comfortable perch for the outside. 

“I guess he didn’t like our duet?” Dead wiped a tear from his cheek from laughing so hard.

“Such a critic! See if I try to serenade him again! I thought everyone liked Bongo Bongo!” Feigning insult as she swept hair back from her face, Loreth draped her torso over the seat of the bike to reach for the wrench Deas was purposefully holding just out of her reach. “First critics and now tricksters! Gimme so I can get this tightened back down.”

For the rest of the day they worked on the bike’s wiring, still struggling to get power to go from the fusion core to the rest of the bike. Deas wasn’t as distracted though and they made decent progress. By the time the sun started to set both were exhausted and ready for bed. Dogmeat had already claimed the foot of her bed there in the garage, muzzle resting on his paws as he watched them work.

“We can pick up again tomorrow?” She felt a little sad by the idea of leaving. Her week was almost over and from there she’d be back on the road again.

“I don’t see why not. It’s your last day here, right? Do you have plans for a next job?” Something in his voice told her she wasn’t the only one regretting the passage of time.

“Eh, I heard a few rumors in Sanctuary I might look into. Carla mentioned needing to have a few parts delivered out to Nordhaven so I’ll probably start there.” Stalling as she wiped off her hands, her eyes watched the way his back tensed a little. “Not too much work this far north of the Commonwealth though. All your hard work has really paid off though. It’s safe up here.” 

His hands slowly placed the last screwdriver away. “You know… You could always come back up here, if you wanted too. I know there’s not much mercenary work but mechanic we can always find work for.” He could hear the hope in his voice, blatant and almost desperate.  _ Nordhaven… Down by the beach. There’s been supermutants down there. They still haven’t given up on Fort Strong and keep trying to take it back. What if she got caught in the cross-fire? _

“Here to stay? I’d probably go stir crazy. I’ve been on the road for so long that staying in one spot is … Hard.” The words tasted off, tinted by the fear of him getting bored of her or raiders coming in the darkest part of night just like they had before. Moving closer to him to add her oil rag to his her hip gently bumped his in a well-meaning motion. “But I’d like to come back to rest up. It does get kinda tiring, you know? Traveling non-stop. And I’d miss Dogmeat! No one keeps your feet warm like that mutt.”

Deas turned to look at her, eyes searching her face and finding the tints of unease behind the teasing smile. “Well I think we can make some arrangement with Dogmeat. I’d hate to hear him complain that you’ve forgotten him in all your excitement.”

Loreth’s smile was genuine now as she chuckled and nudged him again with her hip. “If I -do- come back can I help with your power armor?”

“Now that request I’m not likely to honor. The Brotherhood is pretty careful about who gets to work on our armor. If too many people know how they work then too many people know how to make them not work. I’d rather limit how many folks know the weaknesses of my biggest defense.” 

“That makes sense. The fewer people who know the armor’s weak points the safer you’ll be.” Her eyes traced the outline of the power armor, the way the heavy plating covered joints and wiring. Without knowing how it worked she could see how intimidating the machine was. If she understood it, though, then she’d be less likely to fear fighting whoever was in it.  _ I think I’d rather he be safe. My curiosity can be sated elsewhere. _ She didn’t realize she was frowning until he turned back to look at her, a brow raised in an unanswered question. 

The sun had begun to set and with it their main source of light was fading with their day. Unspoken they separated so that she could collect water for them to wash up with and he could start working on dinner. Grease and oil streaked her arms mixing with sweat that made her skin itchy. If she felt uncomfortable then he probably was as well. Collecting enough water for both of them to wash up, heating the water and finding a sliver of soap, she cleaned her hands and arms first. Once she was scrubbed clean she changed the water and cloth and let him know it was his turn. 

Trading places so she watched over the cooking dinner so he could wash, she stole a page out of his book and watched him through the open doorway.  _ Ah so that’s why he was distracted. The setting sun and wet skin look tantalizing.  _ Her chin propped in her hand, elbow on the counter top, Loreth watched as he removed the shirt and toweled off.  _ If there’s a God listening then -thank you- for making a man like that. Hot Damn.  _

Sitting next to her with his empty food bowl in his mouth, Dogmeat rolled his eyes and dropped the plastic bowl. The clattering sound scared the mercenary straight, face vibrant red as a stream of curses escaped her. “You can’t DO that, Dogmeat. Please tell me he taught you not to scared twitchy people? It’s usually a stab first ask later situation with me.” 

Hand to her heart and eyes glancing to the door she nearly choked as she watched Deas hide his laughter behind a hand, “SO FUNNY huh? I hope there’s a bug in your water. Fuckin’ .. Right. Feed the dog. Got it.”  _ Damn dog, you ruined my show and now you want food? Not the only hungry one in this garage, boy. Hot damn though …. Hot. Damn. That man’s built and delicious looking.  _

From the open doorway she heard Deas say something about a cooler and mole rat, Dogmeat’s ears perking up and lower half already wagging. “Ah. Mole Rat for dinner huh? Tasty stuff. I guess chop it into doggy-bite sized pieces?”

Towel around his neck and shirt absent still, Deas returned her question with a nod before he realized her back was to him. “Yes. I’ll keep an eye on dinner if you’ll feed him for me?”

Cooler in hand, she turned around and couldn’t stop the blatant stare.  _ Dear God or whatever your name is. Thank you.  _  “Right. Got it. Cooking isn't my thing anyway.”  _ Now I think I have an idea why he was so damn distracted the other day. Water on bare skin … Man. I’ve never wanted to lick another person so badly before but oh man …  _

Dogmeat contentedly eating away at his dinner and the human’s food cooking slowly, Deas and Loreth moved to the stools to chat while the soup simmered away. A comment he made brought color to her cheeks and she nudged him gently with an elbow, reluctant and yet tempted at the same time to touch his bare skin with her hands. His laugh in return quieted as he brazenly draped an arm behind her on the bar top, inviting her to scoot the stool closer to him. 

Sitting closer Loreth gave in to the temptation and traced a light scar on his shoulder. Her lungs felt tight when she looked up to ask about it but the words falling away. Unspoken words lead into soft kisses, her hand on his chest tentative and nervous as their lips brushed together. Fingers barely graze across skin, nervous the other would shy away, until his hand found its way under the back of her shirt. 

Hesitation turned to confidence as he leaned into her contact, her palm flat against the rapid beat of his heart. Feeling his pulse race against her skin the kisses shifted from feather-light and pure to passionate. 

Her tank top was thrown to the side to allow skin contact as the sparks between them turned to flames. He pulled her into his lap with eager hands as passion overpowered their senses. The world fell away and the two of them stumbled into the nearest bed with reckless abandon. For the time being neither cared about their responsibilities or rank, status didn’t matter just the thrum of their heartbeats.

Dogmeat seemed rather smug as he carefully pawed the stove’s heat off. Tail wagging like the proud matchmaker he was, the dog went to lay outside the Red Rocket as the two humans found release from their pent up tensions. Once the sun had fully set and the sounds from inside died away, Dogmeat returned to the common area and poked into his owner’s bedroom. Tangled together on the small bed as they were, Deas’ arms held the mercenary close to keep her from balling off as she lay snugged against his chest.

Dogmeat carefully nudged his owner’s arm with a cold nose and got just a mumble of ‘not now’ as Deas faded back into the deep sleep that came with heavy exertions. Satisfied that both humans were indeed fast asleep, Dogmeat left to claim the vacant bed in the garage as his own again. 


	7. Jagged Rocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must come to an end eventually. Romantic getaways are not exception. Deas is called back to duty and Loreth goes back to the Commonwealth. 
> 
> This chapter is the last for Part 1 of this story and Part 2 will begin next week.

Morning eventually came around though his office was windowless. It was her stomach that told her morning had arrived, however, and being comfortable and warm didn’t stop the way her insides chewed at her spine. Careful not to fall off the bed or wake up Deas, Loreth disentangled herself as she got up and stretched, uncaring that she stood naked now. Their clothing was scattered around the floor in reckless abandon so it took her a bit before she found her leather pants and tank top. Draping them over a shoulder she left to go rinse her body off and get dressed.

Deas, a little punch drunk from the time spent with her, eventually got up to grab his own clothing and join her at the water bucket. Playfully she splashed at him as he snagged the cloth away from her, holding the soap up high until she retaliated with a nip to his ear. Dogmeat snorted at the humans and interrupted what was about to become a second round of love-making as had lost patience and wanted his breakfast.

“Sorry boy. Let me get dressed and I’ll get you food.” Deas dried off his lower half before pulling on the trousers, a sheepish grin aimed at his dog. “Food for us all I think.”

Loreth chuckled as she pulled shirt and leather pants on with a wink aimed at him. “Teaching Brotherhood how to play nice really works up an appetite.” A quick slap to his backside as she walked past got a surprised yelp out of Deas.

Re-starting what was supposed to have been their dinner was easy enough for Loreth as Deas chopped up breakfast for Dogmeat. The dog picked his bowl up and carried it outside when he realized that the idle humans had found a fun way to pass the time. Deas had mentioned something about watched pots not boiling, Loreth retorting with distraction made the food cook faster, and with that the two were at it again. 

A boiling stew pot eventually caught their attention so Deas had to separate from Loreth and serve up their meal. Eating was a challenge as both of them had much more satisfying things on their minds. It was just as Loreth was making a thinly-veiled flirt that the static sound of Deas’ ham radio cut through the Red Rocket. 

Dogmeat came back in at a jog as Deas leapt from his chair and went to the office where the radio was. Codes were given and Loreth heard the announcement that a Vertibird was coming to collect the Sentinel. Super mutants were attacking a settlement and he was needed. For a few hours she had forgotten that he was a ranking officer in the Brotherhood of Steel and she was only a mercenary. For the briefest of minutes she had forgotten that the only reason she was here was because of a payment.

As Deas left his little room she saw that he was just as down as she was.  _ Was he like me? Forgetful that we live such different lives? It was nice while we had it, but reality always comes back.  _

“Loreth. I’ll be leaving but you can stay the last day. You can stay longer, if you want.” He came closer to her but it was obvious that a rift had opened between them again. “I want… It’s selfish, but I want a place we can meet up again, maybe a time or …” 

_ Is that desperation? Did he want this as much as I did?  _ “We can try. Why not here every full moon or something?” Bridging that gap Loreth took the final step closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You need to get armored up. Stay as safe as you can. I’ll meet you back here during the next full moon, huh?”

Nodding, though sad, he returned the embrace while kissing her temple. “Full moon. Got it. I’ll bring you an apology gift maybe?”

She sat on the bed in the garage to watch as he did a quick check of his armor. Coming and going he set up the marine armor that was worn underneath the X-01 and his travel pack, large gauss rifle leaning against the weapon bench with a smaller pistol next to it. Climbing into his power armor, the air tight seals hissing as the plates close around his body, Deas exhaled through the re-breather as the helmet came to life. 

“That is pretty damn sexy. Who do I gotta fuck to get my own set? Cuz… I might cheat on you to get my own power armor.” Loreth laughed as she stood from the bed to hand him his bag. The joke was just that, a joke and her attempt at cutting the tension building between them. “You know I’m only half kidding.”

“I figured.” His voice was metallic but it still had a tone of amusement. “How about, during the full moon, you meet me at the airport. I can show off my collection.”

“You mean the airport crawling with Brotherhood? They gonna let a mercenary just wander around?” She had a feeling that because he gave the order, they would. Didn’t necessarily mean she wanted to test that though.  “Let’s just meet here again. It’s quiet, safe, far from a lot of the chaos. I like it here.” Helping him attach the rifle to his armor, Loreth stepped back when done to give him a look over. In the distance the engines of the Vertibird could be detected. 

“Don’t worry about Dogmeat. He’ll head to Sanctuary tomorrow with us gone.” He was hesitant but knew he needed to leave at the same time. “So back here in a month?”

“Got it. We meet back here in a month. I’ll be wandering around finding work till then. Can’t expect me to hang out here for several weeks with nothing to do.”

The departure felt awkward, the two of them unsure of what to say and what not to say. Loreth was almost grateful that the Vertibird landed outside and he left, ducking under the door frame and shutting the door behind him. She didn’t come outside to see him off, too many memories of watching people leave only to never return. It was a habit now to make sure the last memory she had some someone was their face and not their backs.

_ I hope this one does come back. I would like it if … No, Don’t get your hopes up.  _

The Vertibird left and Loreth spent the rest of the day preparing her gear for returning to the Commonwealth. A quick stop at Sanctuary gave her time to buy the remaining supplies she needed and pick up the parts Carla needed delivered. Letting the council know Deas had left, they nodded and someone made sure to get a clean blanket out for Dogmeat’s honorary second home.

The last evening in a safe space was spent aimlessly wandering around, thinking of how happy she had been.  _ It was worth it. Staying here, I actually have hope. Maybe this won’t be so bad now. I won’t be alone really. I mean, I’ll be alone but I have someone to come back to. Someone who wants me to come back. That’s enough, right?  _ Perched on the stool he had occupied only just that morning, Loreth sipped the last bit of her vodka and watched the clouds float across the evening sky. “It’s gotta be enough. I feel like it it, anyway. Someone to look for. Some place to come back to. Knowing I have that, I got a reason to keep going.”

Laying in the soft bed in his office while thinking about how long it was going to be until the next full moon made finding sleep difficult. Dogmeat joined her and curled up around her feet to fall asleep quickly. The next day would have him here at the Red Rocket all on his own as Loreth packed her own things to leave. A note was placed on Deas’ desk written on a scrap of paper she had found.

 

**_Just in case you come back sooner than I do, I decided to take a job out at the beach and I’ll see you as promised. Here at the full moon. Try to not die while I’m gone and don’t forget my present!_ **

**_L_ **


	8. Rough Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks have passed since leaving Red Rocket and our mercenary is on a new job. Traveling solo in the commonwealth is never safe but what armor can protect you from the past?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all my darling readers! This chapter is the start of Part 2 of a 5 part story. It’s a lengthy chapter but I hope you enjoy it! Part 2 will be shorter then 1 and once I’ve posted the last chapter there’s going to be a short hiatus while I finish writing the 3rd part. During the hiatus I’ll be posting a short story based out of Iron Kingdoms so please go take a look!!

On the far eastern edges of Boston the air smelled of hot seaweed and asphalt, a hint of decay lingering after the wind came through adding to the perfume of a destroyed city. Crouched down in a debris filled alley Loreth peeked around the corner of some long-abandoned office building to watch the road she had been following for the last hour. Hairs stood on the back of her neck as she waited with held breath. Something had moved but she couldn’t see what it was but whatever it had been caused a cascade of bricks to clatter across the street. The noise had sent a panicked mercenary ducking into the alleyway with a hand to her pistol.  _ Ghouls? Likely. It’s too quiet for super mutants. Too quiet for raiders, too. Gotta be ghouls. Mole rats aren’t as common with all the cement around. So ya, probably feral ghouls. _

Leaning back against the wall Loreth slowly counted to 100 while listening for any movement.  _ Something is out there. I’ll wait it out and mess up it’s attempted ambush. No irradiated mindless blob of bullshit is going to sneak up on me and get away with it.  _

_ 67 … 68 … 69 … 70 … 71 … What was that??  _ Her impatient counting was interrupted by the obvious sound of something rattling down a mound of detritus. When she peeked back into the road Loreth saw the twisted form of a feral ghoul crawling across a mound of broken building pieces. Pieces of the building slid down making enough noise to echo through the abandoned road and she was willing to bet the sound was going to draw in more ferals.

_ Ah. Ghouls. Like I thought. I wonder if this one is part of the bigger pack I’m hunting down.  _ She quietly slid her 10mm from it’s holster and screwed in the suppressor.  _ I should just take you out now, though. Too close to where I plan to camp tonight.  _ Taking her eyes off the ghoul long enough to visually confirm the safety was off the gun and it was loaded, Loreth looked back up at her target.  _ Yes that’s right. Lay down in the road. Good idea. It’s definitely safe there. _

Aiming from around her corner, hands steady as she lines up the sight with the Ghoul’s head, she pulled the trigger. The suppressed short cut through the air to create a pink mist where the ghoul’s head had been.  _ One down, plenty more to go. I don’t think we’ll ever really see the end of these things. _

Keeping her pistol in hand but aimed low, Loreth came out from behind the wall and moved closer to the ghoul’s remains to check for anything useful.  _ Best source of Rad-X and Radaway, really. I wonder if that’s the ghoul’s attempt at reverting back to at least some semblance of humanity?  _ Checking through the ghoul’s pockets she did indeed find a few pellets of Rad-X. “Poor shit. You probably wanted to save yourself, huh?” 

Not realizing she had spoken out loud, Loreth’s attention snapped to the left when another ghoul in armor crawled out from under the remains of a desk. “Oh well, hello there.” Raising her pistol again she let loose several shots to the ghoul’s shoulder and torso. It staggered from the gunshots but still struggled to its feet. “Nope, you need to go down!” 

Several steps back put the dead ghoul between her and the new one. Known to charge at their targets she hoped the corpse would trip up the armored ghoul, giving herself enough time to aim the 10mm at the head. “Night night, ugly!” A few more silenced rounds went into the gaping mouth of the monster dropping it to the ground with a wet splatter. Returning to her crouched stance, she waited a handful of moments for anything else to crawl out before checking the last ghoul to see if it carried anything useful. 

Pocketing the armored ghoul’s silver locket and crushed pack of cigarettes, she made her way back down the road toward a building she knew would be safe. This edge of Boston was hit or miss as far as safe places to sleep but she and a few other mercenaries had set up a few buildings as neutral zones. She knew one was just a few buildings down and likely unoccupied. 

_ Considering I know James went down a few months ago to super mutants. Sort of sad to hear about how they found him, too. He was a great backup and really knew his way around a terminal. Ingrid was almost a year ago I think. She went down to an infection from ghouls. Nasty way to go. I’d like to avoid that if I can.  _ Pausing in her recollections, Loreth waited to make sure the coast was clear before jogging across the road and to the fire escape that wrapped around the outside of the building. 

_ It was Will that taught me how to set traps. We lost him to radiation. Well, radiation and age. Not too many make it to be 60 and he was what… I think almost 70?  _ Fishing through a pocket on her bag, she produced the key needed to open the gate at the base of the stairs. Closing and locking that behind her, she counted stairs as she climbed. “13th stair is loose, 20th stair is missing, 26th stair is rigged, and the 40th stair is a trapdoor.” Reciting it as she went, she made sure to hop over the stair that was trapped after making sure the trap was actually still in place.

Eventually making it up to the third floor, she used her key again to open the last gate and enter the makeshift camp area. “Aw, someone left me some wood! How nice.” 

Doing a quick circuit of the open area to make sure no bugs had moved in Loreth sighed contentedly. “Safe and sound. Or, mostly sound. Still no roof.” Chuckling a little at a memory she looked up at the clear sky. “I think it was Denise that complained about that the most. She always did prefer a roof.” The chuckle faded away, replaced with a frown as she ran a hand through her hair. “I really can’t … No, I shouldn’t think about them. It’s bad luck to talk about the dead before a job.” Tying the ribbon in her hair tighter she finished her preliminary security rounds and set her heavy pack down next to the small camp area. 

“Home sweet home, that’s what you called it all those years ago.” Looking around her with a small sigh, she nudged the wood pile with a toe that proved the wood was soaked from the recent rain. “Great … Someone left me wet wood. Nice, guys…. Real nice. I can’t remember who all is still alive but whichever one of you left this out, you’re an asshole.” Shaking her head before grabbing the container of trip wire and mines that was kept in a locked trunk behind the dresser, Loreth set to work rigging the stair landing to blow improvised explosives.

Now that she felt safer from attack she was able to start getting the camp set up. “Sun’s gonna be down here in a bit. Maybe half an hour?” A look at the sky told her that the weather should hold as well. “Not too cloudy. And not green, so there’s that.”

Poking the wood a few more times she determined it would be useless to her. Too wet to burn and too rotted to build anything with.  _ Won’t even make a good chair. Seriously, who left this here? _ Exhaling with a grumble she carried the refuse to one of the huge gaps in the wall and chucked it out.  _ Though I think the real question is more who is still alive? I hadn’t heard from any of the others or seen signs of them.  _

Hands on her hips she looked at the walls with a frown. “There used to be more coverage up here. Look at this. That whole west wall is gone and it took some of the floor with it. The north wall’s barely standing. At least my East wall and south wall covering the stairs look stable.” Standing in front of where a wall used to be the wind that had been following her whipped through her shelter and knocked down leftover cans. “Great. And it’s windy. Fantastic.” 

Unrolling a sleeping bag to lay out near what would have been a fire pit, she checking a few of the holes in it. “I’m starting to think I just sleep in a roll of duct tape at this point. Draftier then these walls…” Cutting off few strips of her precious tape to cover a newly discovered hid more of the once-yellow fabric. “Might be time to start making a new one. I can get more leather from Diamond City, probably. Might last longer then this old thing and give more protection. Hotter though, if it’s going to be anything like my pants.”

Sitting back on her heels to inspect the handywork, Loreth exhaled heavily. “Though I miss the nice bed at the Red Rocket. No holes in the blanket and it wasn’t on the floor.” Another blast of wind ripped through the wall with a distinct drop in temperature. “And there are -walls- at the Red Rocket. Real ones. No holes in them.”

Digging through an old truck along what was left of the north wall she grumbled quietly. “Used to be we’d keep this stocked with actually useful things. Now it’s empty cans and bottles, someone’s cram container, and hardly any wood. What has this world come to that no one keeps up their end of the bargain? I’m starting to think I really am the last one left.” Finally able to find the kindling and wood she was able to start getting at least some semblance of heat going. It didn’t seem to matter how dry the wood was, though, because as soon as a wisp of smoke started the wind would come through and snuff it out. 

Groaning loudly before pocketing the remains of her lighter, Loreth just scowled at the area around her. “This… is bullshit. This is also exactly why I hate these jobs! Ghoul hunting always means ruin-crawling. Ruins means shit conditions.” Poking at the poor excuse of a fire pit she surrenders and starts packing the materials back up again. “Fine. I’ll just be in the dark and the cold. It’s fine. Whatever.”

The wood replaced in the trunk she found a can of baked beans and cracked that open. “Mmm cold dinner again. Goody. I really miss his cooking.” After a few spoonfuls of her canned beans, Loreth watched as the sky darkened. Clouds gathered on the horizon and looked like they were heading her way. “Wind’s picked up … This does not bode well. Tonight is going to be cold, windy, wet, and -dark-. Joy of joys.” Sarcasm thicker then dust covering the carpet Loreth resumed her dinner in sullen grumbling.

Her dinner was finished with barely enough light left for her to try again at starting a fire. Using some leftover wood scraps she managed to get some smoke going, a few flickers of fire curling through the twigs only to be snuffed out by the wind again.

“Oh come ON! It’s the least you could give me…” Groaning as she started re-arranging the bricks to offer a little more shelter it started to become obvious the effort was being wasted. Dejected, tired, and cold she gave up again and collected the small lantern out of the trunk after throwing her twigs inside. A bottle of precious oil was mostly empty but she poured it into the reservoir for the lantern before setting it down near her sleeping bag. “This will do for emergencies, I guess.” 

Fumbling a little in the dark, she sat back on her heels and looked up at the cloudy expanse of sky. “No stars, no moon, just clouds and blackness tonight.” A deep breath was exhaled as a tired sigh. “And it smells of rain. I should set my tarp out just to be safe. It’s not going to protect me from the dark but I can at least be dry.”

Rigging the tarp as a low tent, curses aimed at the non-existent roof during the process, she finally arranged her sleeping area to be as covered as she could. “Gotta remember to make an actual -tent- next time I’m coming out on one of these shitstorm jobs. Fucking ruined buildings could at least keep a ceiling for me. Bastards.”

Removing her boots and reinforced vest followed by leather legplates and metal armored calf-plates, Loreth squirmed into her sleeping bag finally. “All that armor and I’m still cold. What the fuck… Just wait. I’m expecting all this dark to mess with my head. Armor ain’t gonna do me shit if I’m hearing things…”

_ So many settlers assume the city is quiet because there’s not much that actually lives in these ruins anymore.  _ Her arms crossed behind her head and eyes mostly closed, Loreth listened as the wind rattled through debris with enough force that buildings groaned.  _ The city is loud, actually. Sounds like it’s dying. Groaning in pain. Trying so hard to stay up even though it’s been through so much. 200 years of radiation and combat. I wonder if the buildings are tired of it all. Ready to just give up. What keeps them going after all this time? Spite? Determination to be the last one standing? _

Sleep was a struggle as every little sound around her reminded her of some threat or another. A bottle rolling across the slope of the floor reminded her of a Radroach’s skittering. A can falling over could be a ghoul crawling out of debris beneath her floor. “Goddamnitall. This city needs to shut up so I can sleep. Can’t give me any lights, no heat, but you could at least fucking be quiet! Can’t even think without it turning dark.”

It was the sound of the buildings that affected her the most, though. Her nerves were already on edge and exhaustion wasn’t helping at all.  _ They always remind me… Of Denise. Her pain at the end…   _ Another hefty blast of wind sent a shiver through the building eliciting a long, low moan.  _ Agony. That’s what the sound is. Agony and barely holding on. I could probably level most of this block with one bomb. Take me out with it but might be worth it to just silence that noise. Reminds me so much of those last few days.  _

Opening her eyes again though she saw nothing but cold and unforgiving darkness that invited old memories to come haunt her.  _ If we had just … Denise, we shouldn’t have taken that job.  _ Sitting up with her sleeping bag still enveloping her Loreth crossed her arms over her knees to pillow her chin. “That was the last job I took with a group. I never did tell them … I should have.” Hearing her hoarse voice out loud she recognized it was raspy with emotion. “It’s been a whole year, hasn’t it Denise. We used to talk at night when we couldn’t sleep. Talk for hours about everything while the city groaned around us. You were so hopeful. Optimistic. We’d find a good place to build, someplace with running water and trees, a place with no one nearby. Just the four of us. That was the plan we hatched. Sometime after we made it up here if I remember right.” 

Guilt added itself to her tightening chest, the scar burning on her shoulder as if it were fresh again. “You and me, we got out of that raider camp. You and me, we made it to the commonwealth. We found James, Ingrid, and then old Will. You brought us all together.” The palm of her hand scrubbed at her tired eyes as emotions brought tears to the surface. “A whole year ago and I’m all that’s left. Will’s traps are still in place. You were right, you know, Denise. Age just means experience which might be why James went first. Youngest and all that. I hope the mutant choked on the poor boy’s bones.”

Laying back down, her body tired even as her heart ached for the friends that she had lost, Loreth stared up at the tarp that protected her. “But Denise… I think I may have done it. I wish you were here to see, but I think I may have found someone I can stay with. You worried at the end that I’d be alone forever. I thought I would be as well but no. You were right again. You were always right. I just had to find someone willing to put up with my stubborn bullshit.” Chuckling weakly, Loreth rolled over onto her side to consider lighting the lantern. “Not much oil left. I never did like sitting in the dark alone. Reminds me too much of that first night after our last job. The buildings sound like Ingrid in pain from the infection. Sounds of pain and agony. You were dead and we mourned you even as she was dying too.” 

Something rustled in the only sheltered corner, breaking through her melancholy, and she was sitting up with the 10mm in hand. “Shit… Roach?” Holding her breath, eyes narrowed in a futile attempt to see something the rest of the world seemed to fall silent in anticipation. No movement stirred the dust, no shift in the shadows, no sound except for the settling buildings but she held that pose for several long breaths.  _ No, it’s nothing. My imagination probably. That or maybe I’ve really lost it. I always knew it would be the solitude that got me. Dark and alone the mind plays tricks on you…  _

Slowly lowering the 10mm back to her side, Loreth remained sitting up while listening for any sounds near her.  _ You hear about that all the time. Someone who went out on their own for too long. Went out to the waste without backup or company and they come back crazy. Too many rads, too quiet, too much stress. Maybe I’m going that way, too.  _ Pulling her knees up to her chest within the confines of her sleeping bag, Loreth rest her chin on her knees and just listened to the world around her. 

_ A whole year on my own. Longer, I think. It’s hard to keep track of dates and hours when no one really gives a shit. Denise, Ingrid and I were all that was left of our band there at the end though, before winter last year. Was it last year? Shit, might actually have been more than that really. _

Pausing in her story long enough to shift her position so she could see out where a wall had been.  _ One last job, Denise had said. One last job to get us some more supplies and then we were going to head West. Ingrid had been from the West Virginia area and told some interesting stories. Denise and I from Washington with our own tales. The three of us figured why not go out West to make our own. And now here I am, sitting in the dark, on one last job before heading west to that Red Rocket. _

Reaching into her pocket for a small, dented .50 bullet case, Loreth ran her fingers over the scratches from all the time it had spent in her pocket.  _ If we had kept the ammo from the raider job the three of us would have made it. They would be here with me and we’d be out west somewhere. Just had to clear some ghouls out of the subway and we’d get paid in supplies then we were out.  _ Her brow furrowed as she traced the blasting cap of the bullet.  _ This had been Denise’s last round. Her gun had jammed, Ingrid was badly hurt, and all we had left was my shotgun but no shells left and I think my 10mm had a round or two. Not the best situation considering… _

Her eyes swam with tears as she remembered that last stand and her friend’s parting words.  _ “It’s just a few ghouls, I got it. You’re stronger so you can get her out of here.” That’s what Denise had said. I didn’t know her gun had jammed so I picked up Ingrid and started to carry her out of the subway. We were so close to the exit when the glowing ghoul had finally caught up. Denise must have seen it through her scope before the rest of us caught sight.  _

Hiding her face, Loreth couldn’t help but continue telling herself the story. The buildings around her groaned louder as if they could hear the memories. Their moans exalting in the tightness of her chest and throat. A whole city block celebrating her guilt-ridden agony. 

_ If I had known… If I had only known! She waited for my back to be turned and for me to be half up the stairs before she drew that damn knife. Ingrid saw the glow from over my shoulder and when she screamed out I turned to see Denise running right up to the damn ghoul. “Just go!” she shouted. I couldn’t move…  We were so GREEN back then! I had no idea what a glowing ghoul could do to a person. What all that radiation could do to one already-sick human. _

Lifting her head again, her story paused as the first few pats of rain landed on her tarp. “Just like then … “ Sniffling before squirming deeper into the sleeping bag, her hoarse voice whispered the last of the story as a way to drown out the sounds of the buildings around her. A desperate attempt to break the suffocating silence. 

“I almost dropped Ingrid but we did it, we made it out of the subway. I threw her aside and gave her my 10mm. ‘I gotta go get her’ I said. Like I’m some damned hero. My shotgun was out of ammo but I brought it anyway. Soon as I opened the door back into the subway tunnel I saw the explosion of Rads. Denise had gotten the damn ghoul and killed it while Ingrid and I were safe.” 

Somehow, hearing the story out loud helped and her voice was stronger now though her heart felt like a lead weight at the bottom of her gut. “There she was, bleeding and weak, a glowing ghoul corpse laying on top of her, but Denise had won. Gotten them all. Took me a bit to drag her out of the pile. Took me too long. She’d soaked in too many rads. I could see the blisters starting on her face and neck, hands, the bloody nose and eyes. Fever was already kicking in and she was puking. Told me right there, I was too late. Never could understand why I made it out without my own radiation sickness. Just my luck I guess. I live so I can watch the two I loved the most die in the most painful way possible.”

Looking down at the bullet in her hand, though as dark as it was she could barely see it but her eyes knew each and every scratch. “All this time I had no idea why Denise held on for so long. Why she tried so hard to survive those days. The radiation had killed her but we just didn’t know it yet. Ingrid had the infection that was eating away at her leg from the inside out and there I was trying to help them both.” Pausing as the wind knocked over the lantern, her hand went toward the 10mm again. As heavy as the rain was becoming she’d never hear anything unless it was already on her and the wind wasn’t helping her nerves. “Damn this weather…”

Thinking back on that week and how hard the two other women had tried to survive Loreth cringed. “I wonder if they struggled because I begged. Because I reminded them over and over again about our stupid plan. About the home we could have built. Safety and food and water. I bet that’s why she tried to hold on. Denise had hope. She had something to look toward that she wanted.”

Her words were drowned out by the now torrential rain, breath frosting in front of her from the temperature drop that matched the chill that had settled into her chest. “I never understood what you said Denise. I still don’t. Sorry I’m so dumb. I always figured it was just the fever that messed up your words.” Clenching the .50 caliber tight in her hand, Loreth watched as the rain pelted the ground around her little tent. “Your last breath… You told me to never give up. That dawn would bring me hope.”

Looking toward the east wall Loreth’s brow furrowed as she remembered something… “There’s… No way. Denise… I wonder if you were talking about him showing up in that damn Vertibird.” 

A sudden laugh ripped through her, the sound jarring and unnatural but comforting. “Damn you for always being right. His stupid ass showed up with the dawn in that damn Vertibird.”

The tent around her struggled under the heavy rain and the water started to slowly seep it’s way in toward her sleeping bag but Loreth was too tired to really care. Her friend’s final moments replayed in her head but this time with more peace, with a sense of closure. Physically exhausted and emotionally drained after the re-telling, she rests her head on her knees to watch as the rain falls in sheets around her. “At least I can’t hear the damn buildings groan any more. Might not sleep but who needs sleep, right Denise? Just hunting ghouls. One more job before heading west.” Chuckling softly, her eyes drooping some. “Not as far as we planned. Still in the commonwealth, too. But it’s a safe place with the workbench you promised me. Food… Water … Just missing your cooking.”

A wide yawn and her eyes finally drifted closed. “Don’t tell him I said it, but your cooking is way better.”


	9. Morning after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battling inner demons can be rough but they say what doesn’t kill you just tries again later!

Morning eventually arrived with Loreth bearing noticeable bags under her eyes. The rain had indeed soaked into her make-shift tent and sleeping bag leaving her leather pants damp. At some point a boot had been knocked over and was soaked inside as well which she didn’t realize until she slid her foot inside. “Oh great. That’s wet… Fabulous.” Pulling the boot off again she dug through her bag until finding some cloth to wrap around her foot to ward off blisters. “I am uncomfortably damp. This is great.” Hoping the added sarcasm would guard her from any more unfortunate events, Loreth laced her boots and stood to pull on the armor she had at least kept safe in the trunk.

Reinforced leather leg guards went over her thighs and calves with places for her holsters to clip onto. A vest was tightly laced onto her torso to hold breasts in place and act as a barrier so the boiled leather armor wouldn’t chafe the more delicate skin. Her usual thin tank tops weren’t much protection from coarse leather even if they were more comfortable. More reinforced pieces were buckled onto her forearms before finally adding the heavy belt that hung her weapons. Dagger on her left, shotgun down her right, and the 10mm pistol at her back. An old geiger counter sat on her left wrist but it’s sensors were not the most reliable so she instead made sure to have the necessary radiation resistance pills handy. Easy to swallow them from the pocket in the middle of a fight if she had to, her Rad-X pills were kept on the back of her glove.

“Alright. Geared up. Breakfast is more cold beans. Yum. I’ll eat that once I get this stuff packed away.” Talking to herself had always been a habit but after spending a week at Red Rocket with Deas and Dogmeat she felt a little sad that there was no one to reply to her. Even if she had been on the road for the last few weeks she still missed their company on mornings like this. Mornings where everything was quiet and calm. Her voice broke through the silence though and that helped steady her nerves. “Just gotta … Finish up this. Yup. In Denise’s wise words, one more job then I can rest.”

Thinking still of her friends made a twinge of guilt ripple through her. “It’s been ages and I haven’t really thought about them. Some friend I am. The only time I think about them is when I’m reminded of their deaths.” Carefully removing the bomb from the stairwell leading up to her camp, Loreth was chatting with herself as she took down the defenses. “Meeting with Deas though… I wish he had been there that year. He would have left us ammo I’m sure. Just a few more shells and we would have made it. A couple more rounds for Ingrid’s revolver at least. Damn her obsession with that .44 thing. Piece of shit always needed repairs and we could never find it ammo.”

Pausing while she had a hand full of trip wire, slowly winding the cord around the wheel, she stared off at nothing for a moment. “I wonder what happened to that gun… I grabbed Denise’s rifle out of reflex but I don’t remember seeing Ingrid’s.” The last of the explosive traps were disabled leaving just the steps that drop down and Loreth went back up to her camp. Explosives were placed in their protective cases in the old trunk, her tent rolled up around her sleeping bag and attached to her travel pack, breakfast hastily eaten, and finally she was ready to leave. 

“Alright. From here, it’s north northeast along the beach. Nordhagen was pretty sure the ghouls were coming from the ruins north of their little island bridge. My thought is the old subways up there could be where the monsters are hiding and I know of an old entrance on the beach that could be the one I need to look into.” Her frown deepened as she hopped off the last few steps and reached the debris-littered road again. “And one of them… I would like to avoid.” Scrubbing a hand over her face in the hopes of rubbing the tired out of her skin, she looked in the direction she needed to go. “Last night… I gotta stop going days without sleep. Memories get too real in the dark. When buildings sound like people you know you’ve been alone for too long.” 

A quick check that all her gear was ready to go and she started down the road. Being distracted while on the move was a bad idea and her self-preservation was high enough that her waking nightmare from before was pushed from her mind. Instead she focused on the various open buildings and destroyed cars that ghouls liked to hide under. Dark alleyways could be hiding raiders so she approached them cautiously.  _ I really hope the rumor about super mutants this close to the beach was exaggerated … I really really don’t want to face them.  _

An hour’s worth of walking brought her to the ocean side of Boston, the air heavily scented of dead things and refuse. Leaning for a moment on the railing with her binoculars out, Loreth was able to get a decent view of where Nordhagen Beach’s entrance was. “So, that little strip of land leads right to where the settlement is. Pretty sure there’s a subway entrance an hour’s walk north of there. Probably check that out first since it’s closest to the settlement. Nothing good ever comes out of subways.” Pocketing the binoculars she glanced either way along the road. “Clear still… Maybe those rumors were wrong. Or the mutants moved on. If I’m really lucky then Deas and his armored fanatics took care of them for me.” 

Wrinkling her nose at the expected mess the mutants would have left behind, Loreth hitched up her pack and resumed the walk north along the bay. “Another hour and I can find a spot to rest. Probably find a good building to hide in while I watch the subway entrance. If that is where the ghouls are coming out of then I can just… I dunno. Toss a few mines down there, get their attention, and laugh as they all blow up.”

That thought fueled her for the next hour, a chuckle now and then as she plans how best to lay the traps. Nothing jumped out at her either as she walked along the road and for that she was grateful. As tired as she was she truly hoped that the building she was planning to perch in was still standing. Walking in the sunlight with a heavy pack was more tiring than anticipated.

_ Best part about the Red Rocket is that soft bed… Ah but maybe the chance to bathe is the best part? Well, no I’ll be honest. Having someone to talk to is the best. Even if it was just Dogmeat. Anything is better then being alone in this city. _

Arriving at her desired hideout Loreth did a full circuit around the building and the ones on either side to make sure they didn’t show any signs of collapsing on her. No ghouls crawled from under the ruined furniture and no roaches skittered out of all the rubbage. What she did notice though made her wary. Buses had been dragged to block the alleys, piled up debris covered a few building entrances. Standing near the entrance to the subway she looked south of the road and realized that it wasn’t as straight to Nordhagen as she had thought. “Shit… That’s… the airport.” Digging her hand-drawn map out of a pocket of her bag she confirmed that the road went right down to the airport. “Explains the rumors of roads being blocked off that weren’t before. Everyone assumed it was super mutants moving shit around. Please don’t be super mutants in the subway… I really really don’t want to fight them in close quarters.” 

Another glance in the direction of the airport where she could see the Brotherhood of Steel’s construction and then at the entrance to the subway the concern on her face was etched deep. “I just need to find out… Super mutants or what. Someone is planning something and it can’t be good.” Replacing the map into her pocket she turned and went to inspect the buildings near the entrance of the subway. “Need to find a spot to camp. Get some proper sleep. Can’t go in there jittery and tired, paranoia’s gonna be bad enough as it is.”

The building was unlabeled and empty, signs of any previous habitation old and dusty but she was pretty sure they had been raiders. Hands on her hips as she inspected the bottom floor of the building there was a tingle of excitement as she noticed several items had been left behind. “There’s still a desk fan! And pencils, some cans… This is actually turning out pretty good for me. Probably not for the airport but at least I got something good out of it?” 

Long ago a portion of the second story floor had collapsed along the back wall to make a ramp up. It was a tricky climb with the steep angle and soft wood but the rest of the second floor looked stable. A set of stairs were still whole that made getting to the third floor easier. Another set for the 4th floor meant she would have the perfect vantage point to keep watch for anyone or anything coming near her camp. A roof over her head, a solid floor, and the wind was low enough she could get a proper fire going. “Hot food, maybe even boil up some water, and I’ll be set. Might nap for a little before I start the ghoul hunting. Or I hope ghoul hunting… No sign of super mutants so I’m going to just fervently hope it’s ghouls.”

Digging one of her tightly folded duffle bags out of a pocket after setting her travel pack down next to an old metal desk, she started back down the two flights of stairs and then carefully down the ramp so that she could collect what she wanted from the bottom floor. “This must have been a store or something. Several old shelves and all sorts of useful junk!” Her duffle bag was almost half full by the time she was done with the bottom level and started back up to the second. 

Taking the first duffle bag back up to her temporary camp, Loreth contentedly sat down to sort through and do some preliminary breaking. Condensing the junk down to a smaller bag would make carrying it out of there a lot easier and she had even found a bottle of Nuka Cola Cherry to drink while she did it! Perched on an ancient office chair, the desk already next to what remains of a window facing the subway entrance, Loreth was able to take things apart and keep an eye on whatever may happen across the street. 

Excitement only lasted for so long, though, before she felt her head bobbing. The Nuka Cola’s caffeine carried her through most of her dismantling but sitting in the warm sun and being mostly safe made her sleepier still. Setting aside the materials she had into their respective containers, she stood and set to placing a few traps on the stairs leading up to where she was going to camp. 

Feeling safer, she unrolled her sleeping bag and then took a kitchen timer she had found, set it to an hour, and laid down for a nap. It wasn’t long before she was asleep, her hat over her face to block the sun. As deep as she slept her dreams made sure it wasn’t comfortable or restful. Running away from faceless horrors twisted by radiation only to end up in super mutant traps. When the timer started to chime she woke with a stifled scream and silenced it, holding her breath to see if anything else heard the noises.

All quiet with no sign of monsters coming to get her she exhaled with relief that the noisy alarm didn’t attract any extra attention. Collecting up her sleeping bag and stowing it back with her travel pack, she double checked her armor and weapons.  _ Everything is ready to go. Just one more job, right Denise? Then I can rest. I can take my time and recover. Maybe even … Maybe even find a reason to settle down. Maybe that’s what I need to do. I’m running out of reasons to keep taking jobs. Most settlements would take me in a heartbeat since I can fix their machines. Hell, I bet even the brotherhood has room for me. How funny is that thought. _

Strapping the dufflebag to her already big travel pack, Loreth was finally ready to head down to the road and from there into the subway entrance.  _ I don’t see too many ghouls around here. None of the usual evidence outside either. Probably means I’m going to have to go through the subway tunnels. I hate going down there.  _

Controlled slide down the ‘ramp’ made from the collapsed floor Loreth landed and stood crouched on the ground floor again. Nothing moved and there didn’t seem to be any sign of enemies so she resumed the careful walk toward the subway entrance. Dread settled onto her shoulders making the pack feel heavier still and as she perched on the first step leading down into the entrance of the subway a cold pit opened in her stomach. Many footprints had shuffled through the debris and dirt leading into the darkness of the subway, one of the double doors barely clinging to the hinges had smears left from whatever passed through. She hoped it was ghouls and not someone that had been injured looking for a place to hide.

_ This looks like a trap. It feels like a trap. Probably smells like a trap. Which reminds me, I gotta put my gas mask on. Ghouls smell bad enough as it is without the added reek of sickness and death.  _ Fussing with a side pocket of her pack she released the folded gas mask and slipped it onto her face. A few tugs of the straps made sure it sat flush to her skin, sealing any bad air out while adding to the almost suffocating sense of closeness that the tunnels gave off. Her peripheral vision suffered but at least she had some protection from infection that was common when fighting feral ghouls.

_ Might as well get this over with…  _ A final deep breath and she slipped past the hanging door and into the darkness beyond.


	10. Into the Subway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like a quick jaunt through dark ghoul-infested tunnels, right? Honestly, how bad could it be? Just kill a few ghouls and get back out again. Never mind the horrible memories still floating around in her head or the inherent paranoia that comes with traveling through the unlit echoey chambers.

Dark wasn’t the word she used to describe the depths of the subways. There was an unnatural quality to the light that gave an eerie flickering glow to everything. Each of the subway lights that managed to still work were at less than half power leaving long stretches of shadow between sections of ghostly illumination. It was where the lights didn’t work that felt the most unreal. Darkness was made solid enough that it could stifle your breath and weigh on your skin. Invisible cobwebs brush across the mind, reminding you of all the things that liked to hide in the deep dark places. Sourceless sounds echo down the tiled hallways that stood neck hair on it’s end.

Crouched as low as she could in the doorway of the Subway, Loreth paused after the centuries old announcer reminded people not to hold the doors open. _Pretty sure no one cares about your schedule any more._ Her ears strained to make sure no other sounds could be heard after the announcer’s voice faded away before proceeding through the remains of the lobby. _This gas mask … I forgot how stifling it is. Even my hearing is filtered and fuzzy._

Evidence of footprints could be seen in the dirt and detritus, shuffling and uneven with smears of something dark trailing along the stone walls. Every hair stood up on her neck as she came close enough to confirm it was indeed blood on the walls at about shoulder height. A gloved finger scraped away the dried smear to confirm it was at least a few days old if not older. Looking down the hallway toward the stairs she saw more of it making trails along the walls. _It’s as if someone dragged something large and bloody down the hall. Big enough it smeared the walls or maybe … More than one thing was carried through here? Makes me glad I put the mask on, whatever is down here has to reek by now. Unless it was .. eaten._

Drawing out her dagger as she worked her way down the dimly lit passage, her eyes followed the smudges on the wall trying to determine what had caused them. Several places looked like hand prints, or maybe hands that had smeared the blood when it was fresh. _This is … Weird. I’ve never seen something like this before. Not even super mutants and they usually have corpses strung up all over. Sacks of meat and gore hanging from the ceiling… No, this is something else. This is like … I mean it almost reminds me of -bait- being left out for a -trap- and I do NOT like this._

Finally arriving at the stairs that lead down to the platforms she paused, eyes wide as she sees the remains of a Radstag strapped to a pillar. Mostly just bones were left and a pile of dark gore at the bottom that had been smeared around. Loreth hoped it was just feral ghouls that had left the mess but someone else had to have strung up the heavy corpse. _Someone left this to distract ferals. Or bait them. Blood down the walls to pull them in … This trap won’t work for super mutants and the footprints aren’t big enough. Has to be feral ghouls. But WHY..._

Ducking back around so she could lean against the wall, her hair stood on end as she strained her ears. _If there’s ferals down there, they’re not making noise. Sleeping? Dead? Something's very wrong here. Everything screams that this is wrong. Do I get out of here? Do I investigate further?_ Struggling to breathe behind the gas mask, the tile wall against her back, Loreth glanced between the opening that lead down deeper and back down the hall to the exit. 

_I can’t just … I can’t just -go-. If I can make sure it is just a bunch of ghouls then sure, I get some backup and more explosions and we’re good. If it’s super mutants then I haul ass to the Brotherhood and let THEM deal with those things._ Mostly resolved she adjusted her mask before drawing the dagger back out. _Right. Just a little further down. Just enough to see what’s going on._  

Carefully making her way down the stairs with her dagger at the ready, Loreth held her breath behind the mask. _I am almost scared to see how many ferals might be down here.That stag is mostly bone and skin. If I didn’t know any better I’d say someone was feeding the ferals._ The idea of someone keeping feral ghouls like pets was terrifying. Mindless from the radiation damage the feral ghouls were reduced to basic instincts and bottomless pits. Any large group of them could spell destruction for a settlement let alone one person on their own. _How many merchants had been lost to the ferals and their insatiable hunger? I’ve never heard of more then ten ferals on the road but I’ve definitely heard stories of buildings full of the monsters. Locked in because they forgot how to open doors, their bodies sustained by radiation even though it makes them insane. If someone’s herding them down here and feeding them? They have to have a plan. A use for them, if that’s what is actually going on._  

Each step down toward the old subway platform was taken carefully, agonizingly slow with Loreth’s every sense straining in fear that the ghouls were just waiting for her. The gas mask she relied on so heavily proved to be detrimental in this, though, as it partially covered her ears and took from her peripheral vision. Paranoia filled in the gaps of her vision and supplied noises that were probably not even real. 

Half way down she swore there were footsteps behind her, a shadow that moved against the wall. Muscles tensed as she watched what little of the stair top she could see under the sloping ceiling but nothing presented itself. No movement. No more sounds. _Shit… Been in the dark too long. I’m going as mad as these ferals. Chill, Loreth. There’s no one behind you. You’re just paranoid because shit’s gettin’ weird._  

The bottom of the stairs opened onto the platform that proved to be as empty as she had hoped except for the Radstag’s remains and two closed doors at either end of the platform. Across the subway tracks was a barrier someone had built out of eroded cement barriers, rusty wire fence and scavenged wooden boards keeping whatever was on the other side out of sight. That struck her as odd but the construction looked old. _People did actually live down here once. Might be left overs. There’s not really… ferals on the other side, right?_

Holding position at the base of the stairs, Loreth glanced toward the far end of the subway tunnel to see both directions. Nothing but darkness greeted her for either end, the oppressive emptiness was like a wall of void that devoured her weak flashlight beam. A single ceiling light struggled to shed illumination over the platform, fading slowly in and out in a semblance of struggled breathing. The effect reminded her of the dying groans from the buildings above. Smaller lights clung desperately to the walls showing where the pillars used to be that were now the anchor points for the barrier. 

Inching slowly toward the edge of the platform, standing where thousands once stood waiting for their transportation to arrive. Over two hundred years have passed since people rode the subway and Loreth marveled at how things have changed. Looking down both ends of the tunnel she saw nothing but impenetrable darkness where the tracks disappeared under the collapsed roof. _No way to get through there. So my only exit is back the way I came. Unless there’s more on the other side of that barrier..._

Curious now and less worried about ghouls after how quiet everything had been. Maneuvering over the rusted subway tracks and climbing up onto the platform Loreth was able to see through a crack between ancient boards. She wasn’t sure what to expect, a long forgotten settlement with a few feral ghouls. Probably no more than twenty of the mindless monsters since any more was extremely rare. What she was not expecting was the sheer number of the creatures loitering just on the other side of that old barrier from her.  

_There has to be several hundred of the fuckers. No way do I have enough grenades for that! And they’re just standing there… What the shit?!_ Fear like she hadn’t felt before crawled down her spine and settled in the pit of her stomach as she backed away. Loreth’s breathing struggled behind the gas mask while she tried to quell her rising panic. _Alright, Think. A shit ton of feral ghouls have been corralled into a subway tunnel. If I can drop it I’m a fuckin’ hero and might never have to work again. If I can figure out who’s doing this then I can stop them, too. Right. Heroic. Cuz that’s not a stupid idea._

Her hasty backpedaling stopped as she slid off the platform and made it back across the tracks. Climbing onto the landing she made her way back over to the bottom of the platform’s stairs. As her foot touched the first stair she heard a definite -click- of heavy doors shutting at the top. What little light she had  from upstairs disappeared along with her chances of survival as the latch was sealed. Dreading settled on her shoulders like lead weights as the rattle of chains from the other side of the door echoed down the stairwell. Time stopped as darkness engulfed her, heavy and cold, the air as still as death. Her eyes never left the black hole that had once been a stairwell as realization sunk in. _HOLY SHIT SOMEONE JUST LOCKED ME IN HERE?! There was someone behind me this whole time?! FUCK!_

Panic hit her gut like a brick, heavy and unreasonable as it stole her breath away. Enveloped in the lightless underground she stumbled into a corner as far away from all the ghouls as she could, breath coming in tiny gasps as the gasmask smothered her. Struggling with the straps, never mind the smell of feral ghouls and rotting corpses, she needed air! Tight steel bands were wrapping around her lungs, her thoughts a jumbled whirl of fear and incoherent ramblings as she struggled to regain some level of control. Unable to get the mask off she wrapped her arms around her chest, shrinking into the smallest ball she could. 

Cowering in her corner it was probably a good ten minutes before she managed to calm her breathing and thoughts. Every inch of her ached from tense muscles and shivering. _Bad… this is so bad. I need a way out. If they chained those doors then I’m stuck. Blowing them could drop the ceiling or worse, rattle that barrier down and then I’m really stuck with all these ferals. The noise alone would piss them off, excite them. I don’t want to be eaten! I don’t want to die! Not here. Not like this!_

Another wave of panic, her stomach flipping as tears began sliding down her cheeks. _Oh shit oh shit… What do I do. I gotta think. I need a plan. I can’t die here. I gotta get out! I gotta think of something!_

Pulling her pack around to rest in her lap she started to go through her supplies to see what she had. _Why do I not carry a fuckin’ crowbar… That’s what I want to know. Crowbars, man. I’m adding one somewhere to my pack so I can get doors off their hinges._

Her padded box of three frag mines was set aside, a second box with only five grenades set next to it and finally she pulled her kit with chems and medicines in it. _Still not good. Two stimpaks, one and a half Med-x, three Jet, two Buffouts, a handful of Rad-X pellets, and just the one Psycho … Never thought I’d be in a position where drugs were going to be how I saved myself. Irene never approved but I like backup plans. Now is a really good time for backup plans… Or any plan for that matter..._

Leaning back against the wall again, her gaze fell to the rickety barrier that was the only thing between her and all the feral ghouls. _If they got over there and someone’s trying to hide them, there has to be a way out for the ghouls. Why else would you collect so many except to unleash them on the commonwealth? Not as pets, that’s for damn sure. Not very cuddly._

That thought struck her and she remembered the buses that had been blocking the roads, alleyways covered so that there was really just the one path. _Herd them toward the brotherhood I bet…_  Her map was unfolded and she traced the most likely path with a finger. _Ya, this would get them down the beach and right across the shallow water and into the brotherhood’s ass. There’s not as many guards on that side of the airport. Nothing comes that way except maybe a few mirelurks. Water isn’t the most friendly, with all the radiation. But that’s never stopped ferals before._

Tapping the airport with her fingertip, a scowl crossing her face, Loreth looked up at the barrier again. _I can’t believe I’m trying to save these assholes. So far I can only name one I’d like to keep around._ Map folded back up and returned to her pocket, her attention left the barrier and returned to the doors on either end of her platform. 

_Has to be a way over there. That barrier was built on their side, so someone had to have found a way to get the ghouls over there and distract them long enough to get out again. If I remember the last few subways I’ve been in, the doors on the sides usually link up to the other side of the platform. Maintenance tunnels and all that. If they’re locked I can probably pick it, if not then that tells me the ghouls are too dumb to open doors._  

Carefully packing her things back up she moved closer to the barrier to see what she could through the holes. Sure enough she saw a flimsy wooden wall that had sunlight streaming through the boards blocking what would be the subway tunnel itself. Dirt and rocks were piled up as far as she could see, evidence that the roof of the tunnel had been dropped and probably made into a ramp for as much as she could tell. Leading to the ‘exit’ was a walkway hanging from the ceiling that looks about as stable as an irradiated rope bridge could be but it did drop over the other side of the wall. _A way out… Holy shit though…_ Her eyes followed the walkway that someone had created and gulped. _That’s … Oh man that’s a bad idea. Probably my only option though. The ghoul’s side door out of the platform is bricked up so I’m not getting out that way._  

Leaning back from the peep hole, Loreth stood with her arms across her stomach as if to hold the last few meals in place. _If I’m quiet. If I’m careful I can make it. Looks like whatever is behind that wall leads right out. Probably mostly dirt. I bet it’s not braced or anything so it’s going to be slippery, rocks rattling around… That’s going to get their attention._

Pacing back and forth back near the stairs she had come down originally, she looked around her side of the platform for clues and stopped dead in her tracks. How she had missed it before was a mystery but painted in what she hoped was more radstag blood was a raider gang’s mark. _Of course. Raiders. I don’t know that mark though… someone new to the area?_ Coming closer to the mark she traced what looked like a fanged and horned beast skull painted in blood. _At least I know the who now. I got the What, Who, Where, and I’m thinking the when isn’t far off either._ Looking over a shoulder toward the wall separating the platforms, her brow furrowed behind the gas mask. _I can’t let raiders set this many ghouls loose on the commonwealth. Even if they are aiming for the Brotherhood… If I can make it across that rickety ass bridge and get to that weak barrier I can try to slip through and drop the tunnel behind me._

Determination overwhelmed the terror that was coursing through her veins as Loreth worked on unlocking the door that would lead to the maintenance tunnel that should meet up with the ghoul-side. _This is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. If I get this done, if I survive this shit, then I am never taking another ghoul hunting job. Shit, I think I’ll stick with repairing machines. There’s less chance of me being locked in a fucking subway with an army of monsters._ Distracted as she was several of her bobby pins broke before she was finally able to unlock the door. 

_Go figure, that’s hard to do when your hands are shaking._ Sitting back on her heels as she listened for any of the ghouls that may have heard her. Holding her breath until she was sure they hadn’t noticed anything she eased open the door to look inside. 

Inside was a rusty metal shelf holding a few empty beer bottles, a single can of something without a wrapper, and one lone light that flickered to dim life. _Storage. But there’s another door at the end of this. I bet that goes to the other side of the collapsed dirt and connects to the ghoul’s side maintenance tunnel._

Checking for traps, Loreth eased her way into the hallway and closed the door quietly behind her. Walking down the hallway felt surreal with only one weak lamp that barely lit the space but she was reluctant to turn on her flashlight. Reaching the door at the end she tested it and found the knob unlocked. _Well that’s nice. And I don’t see any wires or springs so probably not trapped._

Her back to the wall next to the door she threw it open and waited for an explosion or gunshot. _Well well. It wasn’t trapped at all. Nice. Here’s hoping the others side is just as lax in security._  

Peering through the doorway Loreth was greeted by darkness. A lightless expanse that felt both massive and claustrophobic all at once. _The rest of the tunnel must be clear. It feels open but like shit if I can see anything. I don’t hear anything either. All this darkness, I could be blind and never know…_ Unnerved and paranoid that ghouls or worse were waiting just out of arm’s reach, Loreth reached the other side and found the door to be unlocked. Removing her gloves she felt along the door jam and confirmed no wires or spring traps installed. It opened just as quietly as the others, for which she was eternally grateful, and inside was a mirror of the other hallway.

_Another shelf with a couple cans, bottles, looks like a few spent casings and pipe pistol but not much else. And just like the other side there’s a door at the end. That one I can see a bar across on this side. Security in case the ghouls managed to open it?_

Hitching her backup higher on her back, stalling a little to adjust her gas mask and gloves, Loreth felt another wave of panic building under her skin. Heartbeats drumming in her ears, so loud compared to the eternal silence that smothered her, she wondered if the ghouls could hear it, too. _Gotta calm down. Keep a clear head. This is no time to panic. I got this. It’s just a lock, a bar, and then a little bridge. I’ve definitely done worst things._

Swallowing the mouthful of fear that dried up all the way to her lungs, Loreth made her way slowly toward the door at the end. This hallway had no light but she could see the weak dingy glow from the other side as it illuminates the porthole in the door. Clicking on her flashlight to the lowest setting she held that under her chin while her fingers clumsily worked the lock. _Like it’s my first lock all over again. Chill Loreth! This isn’t that bad. Really. I mean, I’ve made it out of way worse, right? There was the camp full of raiders for starters. Just me and Denise, one shot gun and a dagger. We killed quite a few of them before making a run for it. If I can escape that fucking disaster then this one’s a snack cake. Easy. Right? Right._

  
The lock clicked as she got it unlocked, the sound echoing through the empty pit of her gut. _Right… Just … Open the door._


	11. Sometimes the Best Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things got bad, then worse, and now there’s a slim chance to make it out safe. Hold your breath, eyes forward, and take it one step at a time.

Every inch of her skin felt tight, her nerves on edge and breath coming in tiny gasps but she slowly cracked open the door. The other side had a few ghouls within arm’s reach of the ladder but the ferals faced toward the far end of the tunnel where the sunlight was.  _ Maybe they won’t hear me. Maybe they’ve been here for so long that they’ve forgotten about going after people. I just need three steps to the ladder. Climb up seven rungs. They’ll never know I was here. Just another shadow, right? _

 

Loreth crept her way into the room with every nerve on fire, her ears straining for any indication that they heard her. It felt like a lifetime but the door was eased closed without a sound behind her. Three agonizingly slow steps were taken before she was able to reach out to the ladder and test to make sure it would hold her weight. It seemed fine and sturdy enough, for a makeshift rope ladder anyway, so she started to climb up toward the walkway landing that hung from the pipes. 

 

Ropes creaked a little, the chains suspending the landing groaned as her weight was added, but none of the ghouls seemed to care enough to investigate. Making it to that hanging landing and having to crouch low so as to not bump her head on the ceiling or the pipes that the walkway hung from, Loreth paused for a minute. Following the flimsy rope bridge with her eyes she noted that it only had a few anchoring points to the ceiling itself. Most of the time it was just ropes or chains wrapped around pipes that ran along the ceiling. The lowest part of the bridge hung about a foot over the feral ghouls which was within grabbing range and too close for her comfort.  _ Not like I have other options though. Just gotta get across this bridge, over that wall, and up whatever ramp is on the other side. Easy.  _

 

Her first few steps onto the bridge set everything swaying and her heart leapt into her throat even as she clung desperately to the guide ropes.  _ Holy shit this is such a bad idea… I’ll be in arm’s reach the whole way. All these fuckers have to do is look up and they’d see me.  _ Her breathing became labored and she struggled to keep quiet as she retreated back to the landing. Hands gripping the chains that held the landing up as if clinging to her last bit of sanity, she swallowed down her terror again.  _ Can I do this? Maybe I just need to … Just need to find another way.  _

 

Stalling to catch her breath and beat down the rising panic, she followed the bridge again with her eyes and saw that she didn’t really have any other option. Everything else in the room had been bricked or boarded up. Trying to blow open the door she came from would definitely excite the ghouls until they rushed the wall and knocked it down to get to her. Or she’d drop the ceiling. Or the whole thing would collapse on her. Her only means of leverage to pry the door open would be her shotgun which could destroy her best form of self defense. 

 

Looking back toward the subway platform she had left behind and the chained door that beckoned, she exhaled slowly through the gas mask she wore.  _ This is it. This is my best option. I just have to stick with this, follow the bridge nice and slow… easy, right? I’ve done worse.  _ Less panicked this time, she scanned the room one last time before she started across the rickety bridge.  _ There’s more then 100 ferals in here. This high up I bet I could  see all down the subway tunnel to where the roof collapsed back there. Too bad I don’t have enough light. There’s easily enough of these things to swarm the brotherhood, mini guns and laser guns aside. If they got out and into the commonwealth? There’d be no stopping them…  _

 

_ If there’s even more further down the tunnel that I can’t see? We’d be fucked. Brotherhood might survive for a little while, until the ghouls got bored or distracted. But any settlement nearby? Fucked. Royally fucked. I gotta get out of here. Even if it’s just to warn the BoS assholes of what’s coming. I hate them but the Commonwealth needs them to deal with this. _

 

A slightly better peptalk was all she needed and she started to slowly creep along the walkway again. Her hands held onto the pipe that the bridge was hanging from to help stabilize her, grabbing for support where she could. It was slow going and every creak of the wood or rope set her already racing heart thudding along faster. 

 

Perhaps a good six feet out from her secure landing, the pipe she was holding onto creaked loudly as if straining under the weight. A few pieces of plaster rained down onto the ghouls beneath her, the bridge drooping a few inches closer to their curious faces. She could see their vacant expressions turn curious, hungry. Unblinking colorless eyes focused on the pipe above her but the light was dim enough they either didn’t see her or couldn’t see her well enough to make out the human-shaped meal within arm’s reach.

 

Inching faster along the bridge, trying to get distance between her and the now drooping section of pipe, her thoughts were filled with obscenities and pleading with whatever god might still exist. More of the pipe groaned as the bridge lowered further until the ghouls were able to grab onto the lengths of rope, tugging and pulling curiously. 

 

Pipes cried out in protest, popping their supports out of the ceiling and dropping several feet of bridge down into the swarming ghouls. Grabby hands reached for her hurriedly shuffling feet as she struggled to get distance between her and them. The mindless creatures swarmed the section of bridge that had fallen, excited by the noise and prospect of a meal. Groaning and growling issued from the masses beneath her feet while the monsters struggled to grab onto the broken pieces of her bridge.

 

Breath caught in her throat, tears streaming behind the gas mask as fear completely overpowered her senses she reached the end of the bridge in time to scramble madly over the top of the flimsy wall. Nothing but weak and rotten board separated her from the horde of ghouls that tore at the fallen bridge trying to find her, their hungry howls filled with frustration when they found nothing but rotting wood and rope. Panic and her previous meals fought for dominance in her throat as she began to quietly climb up the dirt ramp on her hands and knees. Gravel and debris fell away behind her as she struggled up the mound and clattered against the wooden wall. 

 

Sunlight beckoned and she had never been so grateful to see it, the gas mask ripped off her face and thrown aside as she reached the top. Scrambling to her feet she turned to look down into the collapsed tunnel in time to watch the ghouls topple the flimsy wall. 

 

“SHIT!” Panic stole her breath, her hands shook violently, but she managed to pull free one of her mines. Practiced motions set the sensor and she flicked it into the tunnel and the horde of starved ghouls before turning and running. 

 

“Please blow please blow please blow!” Running full tilt, her pack slamming into her back with every step, she nearly slid on an ancient newspaper as she raced down the street looking for a way into an alley. Her heart sat in her throat as the ghouls roared after her, their ungainly limbs crumpling as they try to make their way out of the tunnel. The mines, however, never went off which meant she still had the full horde of monsters streaming behind her. 


	12. Go off in your face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes even your best effort isn’t enough. 
> 
> Sometimes your plans explode in your face. 
> 
> Sometimes you still lose even if you give it your all. 
> 
> Welcome to the end of the 2nd arc. There will be a brief hiatus while I write up the 3rd arc so stay tuned!

Scrabbling over debris and knocking trash cans over to trip up the horde racing behind her, Loreth was struggling to breathe as she tried to put some distance between herself and the monsters. She wanted to get off the main road but the alleys were blocked by trash and vehicles piled in front. Pausing too long to get her bearings, to look for a way over the barriers, heartbeat thudding in her ears Loreth never heard the heavier footprints slapping the ground behind her as a ghoul dove to tackle her legs. 

 

Screaming as she rolled, the 10mm was brought up and pressed into the feral’s forehead before pulling the trigger. Gore splattered all over the road behind her attacker and as she pushed the corpse off she saw the gap between a blockade and the alley wall. “Got a way out!”

 

Dead ghoul thrown aside even though more were coming, Loreth scrambled to her feet and raced toward the gap. She made it into the alley and was grateful to see the other end unblocked. HEr steps echoed off the brick walls as she raced around the corner and down behind the building, grateful that the windows and doors were boarded up. The moans and growls of the feral ghouls could still be heard over the sound of their attempts to tear down the debris blocking the alley. There wasn’t much time and Loreth wanted desperately to get around behind the horde.

 

_ If I can get my last two mines placed just right I can take out a good chunk of this swarm. Buy me some time… Just need to get them distracted. Have them hunting for me while I make a break for it. _ The plan felt solid and gave her hope. Priming one of her last mines and placing it on the front of the building, she watched as the stream of feral ghouls clambered over the garbage that had been slowing them down before.

 

_ Oh shit.. are they through that already?! I was sure it would take them longer…  _ Turning around to check the way she had come, Loreth watched as a flood of feral ghouls spilled out of the alley.  _ They must have just climbed over each other. Hoooly Shit there’s so many of them!  _ Running back through the alley she had been hiding in she hoped dearly that the mine placed on the wall would trigger when the ghouls followed behind her. 

 

Not bothering with trying to move quietly and focusing on speed Loreth sprinted across the street, passing in front of where the ramp surfaced. If she didn’t have the slapping feet of ghouls behind her she would have paused to get her other mine.  _ Maybe grab it later. Damn dud. _

 

Instead she made her way to a cracked-open door and slammed her hip into it to open. Colliding with the door it barely budged, panic setting in again as she realized her idea to hide was being thwarted by a swollen door.  _ Open up come on!  _ Throwing her shoulder into it and pushing with all her weight, cursing all the while as the futility started to sink in. A glance over her shoulder proved that ghouls were now racing across the road behind her, the mine ignoring them even as they caught sight of their prey.

 

Suddenly the door gave way and she fell through, landing hard on her right side. A sharp stab of pain arced from her right elbow all the way to her wrist and shoulder but there wasn’t time to inspect for damage. Kicking at the door to try and close it again failed and the first ghoul charged in after her. She had just enough time to pull out her dagger before the ghoul fell on her, arms out hoping to rip her to pieces. The blade slid smoothly into the eye socket, feral neck snapping from the sudden stop before getting thrown aside. Loreth had enough time to roll back onto her feet and scamper around the ancient counter that was between her and the open back door.

 

Waiting for her on the other side of the counter, or at least that’s what it felt like, was a sluggish moving emaciated ghoul. More like a skeleton with skin barely clinging to it, the feral was only just on it’s knees reaching a spindly arm out when she severed the neck with her dagger. Her steps staggered a little as she jumped over it, barely dodging the new ghouls that were hot on her heels now. 

 

Out the back door and diving to the side, Loreth grabbed trash cans and loose crates to throw in their path but ghouls are dumb and tenacious, charging into the obsticals with claw-looking hands grabbing at her backpack. Their grabby hands pushed her down, foot slipping in an attempt to escape their grasp and she slammed down onto one of the trash cans. 

 

Her breath burst from her bruised lungs, her head colliding with the ground and the ghoul’s foul smell replaced the oxygen Loreth so desperately needed. Clawed hands rake at her arms and legs as she grabbed for the 10mm at her back. Kicking free of them she managed to turn around and fire several rounds into the gaping mouths opened wide in anticipation for their meal. 

 

Bruised and struggling to draw in breath Loreth made it to her feet again, one ankle twinging slightly but not enough to stop her from reaching the alleyway.  _ Break line of sight, gotta get distance! I can’t get dragged down. Not again.  _ Every inhale smelled of ghoul and copper, a bloody nose streaming down her face and she hoped it was just because she hit her face and not because of rapidly absorbing radiation that the ghouls exuded. 

 

_ Gotta move. Gotta move.  _ Climbing over a few crates and dropping down behind the meager protection she pulled out her medkit. The Med-X she had in there was stabbed into her leg and sweet relief flooded through her body. Pain from being slammed and thrown, the twist to her ankle, all faded to just an afterthought.  _ Better. Now, to get out of here. I can hear the ghouls looking for me. Have to keep moving, have to keep quiet. _

 

A glance at the end of the alley she cowered in Loreth saw that her exit was blocked by an old school bus.  _ Shit.  _ Ghouls were scrabbling at the boxes she was using as cover, less than two feet away from her flesh. Heartbeat thudding in her ears, breathing coming in quiet but quiet gasps, she scrambled backward until the backpack bumped into the flattened bus tire.  _ Shit Shit Shit I gotta go.  _ Carefully standing again though her legs felt wobbly from the fear that weighed down her limbs, she found that the bus itself was not flush to the building’s edge.  _ I can fit through that. Just toss the bag through first.  _ As she thought it her hands were already working loose the straps.  _ Keep it open, I can grab it and run if I need. Can’t make it very far without all my shit. No one lasts long without supplies. _

 

Sliding the bag through the gap first it was a tight fit but she made sure it was against the wall, ready for a quick grab as she ran past.  _ Bag is through now it’s my turn. Suck it in girl.  _ As bruised as her ribs were the close fit pressed in against the injuries. BReathing was impossible it felt like and just as she was almost free the strap holding her shotgun got caught on the bus’ license plate. 

 

_ Shit shit shit! Stuck!  _ Frantically trying to wiggle the strap free she never saw the first heads peek over the wall of garbage at the other end of the alley. A crate fell forward, crashing into the road and sending echoes down the brick tunnel attracting more of the monsters that had been lingering at the end of the road trying to get into the shop she had vacated. 

 

_ Oh fuck. Oooooh fuck. I’m stuck and about to be surrounded. FUCK! _ Frantic didn’t describe the way her heart leapt into her throat, her stomach dropping, her eyes widening, and she swore time slowed down as she looked between the threats and the strap that was holding her in place. Another rattle of boxes announced that the ferals had successfully made it over the barrier, reaching hands outstretched toward their new meal.

 

Panicked tears slid down grimy cheeks as she gave it one more push, one more attempt at squirming free and her efforts were rewarded with the sound of tearing and a lease of pressure. Free from thebus’ grip, Loreth fell back into the road and landed badly on her already damaged right arm. Something snapped, like dry kindling under pressure, and pain flooded through her nerves. The scream was an accident, the lights dancing in her vision a problem, but the ghouls didn’t care. They heard food, prey, a target, and came running. 

 

Laying on her back gave her time to grab out one of her last inhalers of Jet, the plastic filthy in her mouth but when she depressed the plunger nothing mattered. Her mind sped up and she had time now to calmly aim her pistol at the first few that headed her way. Accuracy wasn’t an issue with her usual shotgun but on Jet she had -time- to aim. She could line the sight up with their leathery foreheads and pull the trigger, admiring how cleanly the bullet went in before moving on to the next target. 

 

As staggered as the beasts were she had time to unload the first clip while standing back up again. The horde was slowed down enough, buying her time to stab in the last full unit of Med-X and run back across the street. Back into the first alley she had hidden in, conveniently clear of barricades thanks to the ghouls but this time instead of making a right she made a left. 

 

Running was weird. Wrong. Time felt off and her mind was racing to process everything around her. She could smell the different levels of decay that came with ghouls and the destroyed city around her. Taste the remnants of the drugs at the back of her throat. Her body was numb but she felt how her muscles struggled to work around the messed up ankle. As the Jet was wearing off she started to shake, synapses struggling to slow back down again and so she trembled like a leaf barely hanging onto it’s branch.

 

Down the back of the building and making another left into a new alleyway Loreth had to pause and try to collect herself.  _ Too many too fast. Bad reaction … Med-X can’t old back pain for long. Broke. Something Broke…  _ Finally looking down at her right arm she saw just how bad the break was. The bones of her forearm peeked through the leather armor, blood flowing freely and she had to think for a moment before realizing just how -bad- this was.  _ Can’t shotgun .. SHOTGUN!  _ Left hand dropped to where the hilt of the modified shotgun always sat only to find nothing but a torn strap.  _ LOST IT! No no no no no! I need it! Never won without it! Can’t survive without it!  _ Hard as her damaged lungs worked they couldn’t bring in enough oxygen as her panic attack started to take over.

 

Racing to the end of the alley, disregarding how quiet she needed to be, Loreth climbed up onto the crates to look toward the bus she had left behind. Sure enough, several ghouls were still climbing through the shattered remains of the windshield and passenger windows ignoring her backpack and treasured shotgun laying there. 

 

_ Need it. Need it. NEED IT! I can’t … not without. Safe, strong, always won with it.  _ Short tiny gasps of pain-laced air raced through her lungs, hyperventilating while trying to figure out just how she could get her things back. The good hand went back into her pouch to check on her drug supply and came out sticky, the bent syringe of a Stimpack in her wet fingers.  _ Dead… I’m dead. Just Jet and Psycho left. Half Med-X. Dead without bag. Dead without gun … Dead.  _

 

No amount of air could alleviate the suffocating weight of mortality, her whole body shivering from blood loss and drugs, pain and fear. Panic. She focused on one thing. One thing that had always made her feel safer, stronger, more capable. 

 

She focused on getting that shotgun back. With that she could win. With that she had escaped the raider camp all those years ago and kept her friends safe. The last time she didn’t have the gun she lost them and that realization settled like lead weights onto her tired shoulders.  _ I’m dead…. Denise … Irene … I’m dead.  _

 

Sitting back on the crate, Loreth carefully reloaded her 10mm with one hand, the gun held between her weak knees. Sliding the full clip into place, a satisfying click letting her know she was loaded, Loreth looked once more at her bag near the hood of the bus.  _ Buses explode. Grenades in the top of my bag. If I can Jet I can aim and hit. Bag goes, bombs go, ghouls go, maybe even the building.  _

 

Careful as she climbed down the crates, ankle screaming in agony as she limped along the wall trying to not get the feral’s attention, Loreth inched closer to where she could clearly see the bag. Tucking herself into a covered doorway, plywood and metal sheeting preventing her from getting inside the building, she watched as ghouls mingled in the road trying to find her. Blood was splattered all over and confusing them but the bag itself was untouched. 

 

One last inhaler of Jet was brought to her lips, eyes closed as she depressed it again and the cloud of chemicals filled her laboring lungs. Snapping open her eyes the empty drug inhaler was dropped to her feet and 10mm pulled up with the slow steady grace of someone who -knew- this was the end. Someone who knew it was just a matter of pride now, to take down as many of them as she could before finally falling herself.

 

First several shots took out ghouls that were between her and the pack, two more sent into the bus hood to weaken it further. The final five bullets in the clip were aimed at her bag. The drugs were starting to wear off but she got the kit holding her grenades open by blowing the lid clean off in only two attempts.

 

Tremors started back up again, the downside of Jet kicking in as she started to shake and the gun in her hand only had three shots remaining. Without the drugs to steady her aim, steady her mind, the panic returned and when she looked around her the ghouls were already moving to converge on her position. Second to last bullet landed right where she needed though, just before the ghouls reached her, and the grenades in her backpack exploded.

 

Thrown into the wall from the force of the explosion, head colliding with the plywood barring her entrance, Loreth watched as the bus caught fire and exploded just as she managed to regain her feet. Ghouls were thrown like rag dolls through the air, into walls, through boarded windows. Deafened by the noise, dizzy from drugs and being slammed into a wall, Loreth slid down to sit on the front step of whatever shop this had been to try and regain her balance. 

 

_ Spin spin … Hurt…  _ Blinking rapidly, vision swimming, she was confused for a moment why there was someone standing behind a burning bus, calm as could be and pointing down the road away from the ghouls.

 

_ Is that… Denise? Dead? You’re dead? Am I?  _ Struggling back to her feet though she had to lean heavily on the wall next to her to do so, Loreth blinked again and Denise was farther down the block sitting on an old bus stop bench. “Wait… Don’t go. Wait for me …” Dry from fear her voice was raspy and strained. “Denise! WAIT!”

 

Without realizing she had done so Loreth was halfway across the road when the inhuman guttural screaming of ghouls cut through her drug-clouded mind. Whipping around to look behind her she saw that a majority of the ghouls were streaming from the alleys and beginning to race toward her. “Oh … shit.” 

 

Everything just stopped. Her heart stopped, breathing stopped, mind stopped, and even the panic stopped as she stared at the ghouls that were making their way directly to her, feet slapping the cracked pavement in their mad dash to reach her. Somewhere in the back was an explosion though and even the ghouls stopped to look behind them. 

 

The building near the ramp entrance that she had attached a mine to a lifetime ago cracked, an entire three story section of the wall crumbling down on top of the stunned horde. The ground shook as more of the building came down, bringing the neighboring structure with it and burying ghouls beneath the rubble.

 

_ I should be running … Go… Need to go …  _ Turning in slow motion, her mind finally catching up with what just happened and realizing just now that she had the perfect distraction to cover her escape, Loreth saw Denise gesturing frantically.  _ Right. Go to Denise…  _

 

One step, two steps, her limping gait became a labored jog as she reached out to Denise with her good arm. “Wait for me, I’m coming.” Everything ached but surely if she could reach her friend she’d be alright. That was all Loreth focused on and as her hand came in contact with Denise’s shoulder pure shock laced through her when the illusion was broken. Denise was gone and Loreth was left standing in the middle of the road with feral ghouls crawling through debris to reach her.

 

“I’m all alone … Just ghouls. Just me and ghouls…” Somehow she knew that Denise was truly gone but if felt as if she had lost her friend again. Every inch of her body ached, blood still dripped down her hand from the ruined right arm, and she gave up. Falling to her knees facing the horde she pulled out her 10mm again. Loreth looked at the clip to see she had one shot left and looked at the blank-eyed monsters that charged toward her.

 

“You were wrong, Denise. You were finally wrong. I am going to die alone.” Cold metal touched her temple as the barrel of the 10mm was raised. Her eyes closed, inhaling the sharp tang of gunpowder. “Sorry X-01.”

 

Her finger on the trigger, eyes closed with tears falling down her cheeks, the gunshot shattered through her thoughts of the Red Rocket, Dogmeat, and … Deas. 


	13. Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anticipation and hopes are built on desires.  
> Expectations are made of dream.  
> And then doubt and fear comes to rot away the warmth of longing. Bittersweet emotions take the place of desire. Our paladin is found to be wanting, his humanity a stark contrast to the emotionless power armor he hides within.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been UPDATED! I fixed a few parts and fluffed it up a bit more. Please dont forget to give a KUDO or a comment at the end! Fanfic writers live for those little things you know.

“Paladin, we’ll be ready to land in about 10 minutes.” The pilot of the Vertibird called over his shoulder at his only passenger. The paladin Deas was wearing his Marine body armor instead of the usual X-01 power armor but lost none of the intimidation factor. The marine helmet was just as expressionless and intimidating as his usual power armor especially considering Deas was a large man and the armor itself was almost as bulky. Adding to body size was also the knowledge of what this one man had done alone in a few short years

“Thank you. Watch out for Dogmeat.” Marine helmet’s respirator in place tinted his voice but his excitement was hard to filter out. If the pilot didn’t know any better he would have sworn the paladin was fidgeting in his seat. A quick affirmative from the pilot seemed to go unnoticed as the paladin was watching the road beneath them as if looking for something or someone.

Finally the iconic Red Rocket appeared ahead rising above the hedge line and Deas sat up straighter in anticipation. He quickly checked over his armor to make sure it was clean and polished, that the bag next to his foot was still there, and that his gift to her was still folded neatly in it’s box. As the Vertibird lowered Deas collected his things and was out of the ‘bird before it had completely landed.

“Sir, pick up is in a week correct?” It was hard not to laugh as the paladin all but rushed away. So many in the Brotherhood new the paladin to be a stern and unforgiving man with no favorites among the troops. He treated everyone the same which was both a blessing in that there was no way to get away with breaking the rules but it did make it hard to feel appreciated. Praise was always given when it was due but with little ceremony. But here the pilot got a chance to see the same rocky exterior crack and expose the soft almost boyish delight as he nearly ran to his garage.

Hearing the pilot’s question Deas had to pause and turn around to answer so that his voice would carry over the Vertibird’s engines.“What? Yes. One week. Fly safe pilot.” Deas didn’t wait long for a response as he got out of the Vertibird’s way, not even stopping to return the departing pilot’s salute or hide the silly grin that was growing on his face. Excitement bubbled up inside him and he felt good. He felt happy! How long had it been since he felt like this? It must have been in his past life really.

With no Dogmeat showing up to greet him the garage seemed sad and empty but even that couldn’t dampen his spirits. He knew soon enough there would be laughter and conversation. He just had to endure the silence until Dogmeat and Loreth arrived. “Not long now. Soon enough I’ll have company and someone to look forward to coming back to. Should clean up before she gets here. Make things presentable.”

Removing his heavy armor to hang on the rack in his room, dusting it off a little with pride he then set the packages in the cooking space. Collecting a few buckets of water he started to wipe down all the surfaces. With several weeks and no one living at the garage fallout and dirt had settled onto any flat places.

Working through the Red Rocket garage room by room gave several hours for thinking. Monotonously wiping down counters and scrubbing each dish free of sediment let his mind wander freely and explore his excited hopes for her visit.

Back at the airport he was expected to review reports and plan guard shifts, plan up training missions and excursions into the outer ruins still remaining of the commonwealth. No one asked what he wanted or how he was doing only what his next orders were. Here at the Red Rocket Deas was not a paladin of the Brotherhood or a General of the Minutemen. He was just another man wanting to enjoy the safety of shelter and rest his tired body. All the battles and gun fights he had been in left his body scarred and several old injuries ache after patrolling around in his heavy armor. That didn’t count for the scars on his heart for all the Brotherhood he had lost over the years.

But Loreth. She was something different. She wanted to know about his old life, about his adventures, about his hopes and dreams. She saw him as a man and not a commanding officer. The fact that she had so little regard for the brotherhood might have helped with that but Deas still found it refreshing to have a conversation with someone that wasn’t waiting for an order or someone who wasn’t broken after a battle. She was lively, excited, and energetic. She was like a warm fire on a cold night. The first rays of sun after many years of rain and cloud.

 _I really hope she knows how much I appreciate her. She reminded me that I’m human and not just another paladin. Her curiosity has proven there’s still so much to see in this world. I hope we can travel together, explore the commonwealth. Maybe with her I’ll find a reason to keep fighting._ Sitting back on his heels, a cloth steeped in Abraxo still in his hands, Deas looked out the open door near him with a wistful smile. _She’s given me something else to live for besides spite. Everything I thought I had was taken and with the Brotherhood I have a purpose but no reason to keep going. Anyone else could pick up my title and keep going. She’s reason enough for me to keep it and continue forward. I should tell her that at some point._

A small smile tugged at his stern expression until he was finally smiling for real. She had left the radio on the Diamond City station and with that turned on Deas sang along. His heart felt lightened just thinking about getting to see Loreth again, working on the bike some more, or watching the stars come out. Hope blossomed in his tired heart repairing a few of the broken pieces left behind from his wife and son’s death. Starting over with the mercenary seemed like the best course toward happiness and a course he was excited to explore.

Hours of cleaning completed and the garage was back to a livable state. Considering she likely traveled between settlements and had to camp a lot on her travels he wanted to make sure she could come ‘home’ to someplace clean and safe. Deas was tempted to start one of the fancy dinners but without knowing if she was almost there was also reluctant to waste resources.

“Mirelurk for dinner the first night I think, and then brahmin stew. Add in a bottle of bourbon for a clear night. Should be a nice break from trail rations and show off my access to supplies. Considering how hard it can be to make hot food I think a few good meals might go a long way in helping her recover.” The thought of enjoying dinner with her again brought another smile to his tired face. Chatting and working on the bike together, relaxing with a drink or making future plans all made his spirit lighter then it had felt in ages. “Surely she’ll be here tomorrow. The full moon starts then so I’m just early.”

Stirring his pot of Blamco Mac & Cheese Deas thought about all of the meals taken in his office alone back in the airport. “It’s nice to have something to look forward to. Something besides combat training and radiation to talk about.” His stomach growled at the smell of processed cheese powder as the completed meal got poured into a bowl. “And a reason to cook something special is always exciting. I hope she likes my plan for the stew. I know I’m grateful for the excuse to eat something other then the bland food back at the airport.”

His meal was barely cooled by the time he inhaled it. Chugging down a can of purified water reminded him that his generator was going to need attention as well as his water purifier. “Should do that before bed tonight… Not much daylight left.” Rinsing his bowl out and leaving it in the tub to wash later he collected his tools before heading out back.

Sure enough his generator was running on sheer spite as much of the intake had been blocked by dirt and debris. Cleaning that out and making sure the machine had enough oil he moved on to starting the water purifier. “This poor thing… I’m going to need to replace the engine soon I think.” Almost as filthy as the generator it took a bit more work to coax the machine into starting again. Applying a healthy dose of oil to several key points helped it work smoother but Deas had his suspicions about the device.

“Not enough sunlight left for me to do much more. Tomorrow I’ll do a better job. And I have to remember to check the perimeter for corpses.” A few sniffs of the air confirmed his suspicions. “Smells like my turrets have been their usual protective selves while I was gone.”

Back inside Deas changed down to a pair of ancient plaid trousers and laid down to sleep. Hope kept him awake much of the night so that when sleep finally claimed him his dreams were filled with auburn hair and deep green eyes. Waking up alone in his bed was a lot harder than it should have been with his body aching for someone. Guilt settled into his belly even as he admitted to himself that part of his desire to see her again was for the hoped-for intimacy. There was more that he wanted to do with her but a part of him was very distracted by those green eyes and her tanned skin.

Dealing with that growing desire and all the accompanying thoughts that came with it took a little longer that morning but knowing he had the time and peace to do so was welcome. Washing and getting dressed for the day he decided on a simple breakfast of mirelurk omelets as he preferred to save the hard-to-find bacon and sausages for when she was there. If she was willing and interested in sleeping with him then the hearty breakfast would be a welcome treat!

Eating his omelet alone was just as dull as his dinner but he had found her note the night before and had it opened on the table next to him. “Working down by the beach. Probably why it’s taking longer to get here. That’s a pretty rough walk and if the rumors of super mutants are anything to go by she’s having to circumnavigate almost entirely around Boston!” His breakfast done and dishes washed, note returned to his pocket, Deas gathered his tools again to head up onto the roof.

“I’ll keep an eye on the road while I work on the turrets. See if I can spot her before she arrives so I can get a nice lunch going. Might be a welcome surprise for the poor woman!” Whistling along to the radio he had brought up with him Deas worked on the turrets with the occasional stop to look at the road and surrounding woods.

Time felt jilted as he worked his way through the array of turrets lining the Red Rocket’s overhang. Every movement near the road caught his attention and he waited with baited breath only to see it was a Radstag, a Bloatfly, a handful of leaves, but never Loreth. “It’s a long walk. Maybe she got held up by something. Afternoon hasn’t even arrived so there’s plenty of time.”

Back to work, his back to the road leading into Charleston, Deas caught a brown shape on the road leading to Sanctuary. Squinting against the sun he realized the shape had 4 legs and a very excited tail waving in the air. Dogmeat was a welcome diversion seen running down the road from Sanctuary with enthusiastic yips as Deas’ scent must have caught up to the dog. “Aw, he must have heard the vertibird yesterday!” Climbing down the make-shift stairs to greet his dog Deas laughed even harder when Dogmeat went running inside the garage to greet what he assumed would be the guest. Sad whimpers accompanied the canine as he returned to the waiting Deas. “No she’s not here yet. But soon. I think she’ll be late but she’ll be here.” Ruffling Dogmeat’s head Deas heading back to his turrets. “Keep an eye out for her while I finish up some work.”

Climbing back up onto his rooftop Deas watched as Dogmeat took up position where the road could be seen as well as the back forest. _That dog is just too smart… I wonder if he eats Mentats when I’m not looking._ A chuckle and he resumed oiling one of the more stubborn turrets. Somewhere in his belly started the first seeds of worry but he only shook his head and touched the pocket where her note was. _Stop stressing. She’ll be here._

Afternoon came and went with early evening finding Deas tossing the remains of his turrets’ kills into a pit he had made ages ago. Bodies could decompose there along with whatever refuse and waste he collected from the Red Rocket. Decent fertilizer came out of the mix which was a big help to Sanctuary even if he did find it rather gross. Dogmeat hadn’t left from his perch though, ears drooping even further as the sun began to set.

 _I wonder if he’s as worried as I am?_ A hand ran through his hair while his belly churned up a few more seedlings. _She’s a strong capable person. I’m pretty sure she’s fine. She certainly doesn’t need me sending a search party out for her._

His dinner was cooked, a simple combination of boxed Salisbury steak and warmed up Dandy Boy apples, and eaten on the roof. Dogmeat inhaled his own dinner of ground mole rat before resuming the attentive post from before. Now and then he would patrol around the garage ranging as far as the nearby water tower. Seeing the pooch’s tail wag less and less caused even Deas to be more and more concerned.

“Come on boy. She’s a lot stronger than we’re giving her credit for. It’s a long walk and she’s on her own so she’s probably just being careful. Just watch, she’ll come running up that road to see us tomorrow. Just be patient.” As encouraging as he tried to be he suspected Dogmeat didn’t believe him either. Both of them settled down to watch the road sadly as the sun hid beneath the horizon and the stars came out of hiding.


	14. Growing Concerns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garden of worries are promising a bountiful harvest as the paladin tries to come to be patient. 
> 
> Patience is not one of his stronger virtues.

Sleep was less pleasant as Deas’ dreams were filled with faceless brotherhood scouts reporting in on a body located that matched her description or sighting of a mercenary getting taken down by various enemies. Waking in a cold sweat was not the way he wanted his morning to start and even Dogmeat didn’t look well-rested as they ate their cold breakfast. “It’s fine boy. She’s probably caught in a storm. The sky looked a little cloudy over Boston as I left.” 

Dressing in work clothes and packing himself a quick lunch Deas decided a trip to Sanctuary was just what he needed. “They always need help and this will give me something else to think about besides those dreams. Besides, I need to pick up a few parts for the water purifier. I really don’t think it’s going to last another year but I plan to try.” Dogmeat padded next to him, ears and tail down with a repeated look behind them as they went down the road, neither of them wanting to walk quickly just incase she came around the bend behind them. 

“Do you want to wait here for her? That way she doesn’t come home to an empty garage?” Kneeling to pet the worried canine Deas smiled as Dogmeat’s ears perked up. “Ya, let’s do that. You wait here and escort her into Sanctuary and I’ll go work on things there, see if anyone has heard some rumors.” A plan decided on the two separated with a more hopeful bounce to their steps.  

Getting back to the Red Rocket Dogmeat pawed open the side door and rummaged through his master’s room before finding an old dog bed. Dragging the worn cushion out of the garage to drop under the awning his tail wagged hopefully as he settled down to wait, ears perked and twitching at every sound.

Arriving in Sanctuary not long after Deas had already lost the hopeful bounce to his step. Something was wrong and he could feel it as heavy weights settled into his gut.  _ She’s strong, capable, and had made it this far on her own. Loreth even said it herself a few times that she doesn’t need someone to rescue her. Surely she’ll be fine. Just a little late. I’d rather late and safe then early and injured. _ The dark cloud of worries lingered over his head as Deas was greeted by the guard. A little chit chat to be polite helped distract him from the growing seedlings in his belly. Each worry was threatening to blossom into full-bloomed fear. Deas hoped that having something to work on and keep his hands busy would slow the growth down. 

It was nice to see how much the little settlement had grown. It was possibly the same size as Diamond City though more spread out. The hill he used to take his wife and son to was now farmland with the picnic tables broken down to build up the walls. Several families had started with small children running around playing happily, their joyous laughter a sharp contrast to the laser fire he was used to hearing at the airport.

Eventually he made his way through the bustling town toward where Sturgis worked. Their conversation was quick though the tinkerer could tell something was eating at Deas. “Ya, of course we got things that need work! You know the new water purifier? Well it stopped working right just the other day. We have two more so it’s not critical but I haven’t had time to check it out. There’s also a few more turrets we’re building if you want to lend a hand there. Yours always work better.” Handing over a few rolls of duct tape the man gestured toward the river. “Can I get you to start on the water though?”

Task given, which Deas appreciated that Sturgis had no qualms about telling him what to do despite his rank, the concerned paladin set to work turning off and then taking apart the water purifier. The task required his focus and left little room for stray thoughts as the small screws were carefully placed into a jar for safe keeping. Certainly no spare time to think about a battered body hanging from a Raider’s encampment. Carefully removing delicate machinery helped reduce the mental images of an auburn head decorating a super mutant’s body pile though his heart ached at that one. Dealing with the super mutants had become the brotherhood’s task. If that’s what got her then it would be his fault by proxy because his troops failed to keep the commonwealth safe.

_ I can’t think about being the cause of someone else’s death. They’re going to need this water back up and running soon. Focus on this, not all the different ways to die in the commonwealth _ . 

Hours seemed to crawl by and it wasn’t until his stomach growled reminding him how long ago breakfast was that he finally sat back on his heels.  _ I guess I can break for dinner. Fixing this is going to take longer than Sturgis realized thanks to the radroach that crawled through the intake. Damn bugs forget they’re not as small any more. _ Dusting off his hands as he stood Deas put the pieces he was working on under a tarp weighed down by his toolbox. “Alright. Finish you tomorrow.”

Updating Sturgis real quick before heading back to Red Rocket Deas was accompanied by the weight of concern and worry.  _ She hasn’t shown up yet. It’s going on three days now. I wonder if she really is in trouble. Should I have gone to look for her? Or has she changed her mind about me… _

Shoulders slumped and with a heavy heart Deas arrived at his garage to see Dogmeat seated on an old cushion with a water dish nearby. “That’s not how I left you. You’re way to smart sometimes.” A glance toward the empty dog house proved where the water dish had come from. “You’ve been waiting this whole time haven’t you boy.”  

A sad sound came from the dog as he raised his head from his paws. Not even a half-hearted attempt was made at a tail wag as Deas came closer.

“Hey, what do you say to some mirelurk tonight? It needs to get eaten …“ The words stung as he spoke them but it was true. The meat was being saved for her first dinner but without her it was going to go bad. “But that just means she’ll be here tomorrow and I won’t have her favorite food on hand.” His weak chuckle fell flat as Dogmeat slowly stood to lead the way back to the empty garage.

As promised Deas made the two of them razorgrain pasta with mirelurk steaks and a very hard to find cream sauce. Eating it on the roof gave the illusion that he was still looking for her though only Dogmeat kept close watch on the road. Deas instead read and re-read her note that was beginning to fade from how many times he had run his fingers over the inked words. “This definitely means she planned to come back. Right? Maybe she got worried. Maybe something happened and she got cold feet. How many times did she say she didn’t want to get caught up with the brotherhood? That she liked her freedom? Maybe I wasn’t enough. Maybe she changed her mind and won’t be coming after all.”

Dogmeat lowered his chin onto Deas’ knee and gave his owner the saddest look possible. “Now don’t give me those puppy dog eyes. I highly doubt there’s anything you did that would have pushed her away. I’m more surprised she didn’t come back just to see you, to be honest. We both know everyone loves you.” His heart felt so heavy with the weight of his concerns that he wondered if the organ would be crushed underneath. Even Dogmeat couldn’t buy the false bravado from Deas and instead made another sad whimper.

“No… No, Dogmeat, I think it was me. I think it was what I am more than who I am. I can’t blame her either. The Brotherhood she was used to were assholes and she probably suspects that I’m just as bad.” Petting the canine’s head made him feel a little better but neither of them were going to be happy. “Let’s head to bed after I finish a few drinks. Went through a lot of work to find a good bourbon and I’d like to at least pretend to enjoy it. Tomorrow we get a special breakfast and then dinner will be even better unless we go to the Airport. Then dinner will be normal.”

A freshly opened bottle of bourbon was next to him on the little patio table with a glass that he filled with the amber liquid. Sipping it proved that he did indeed find an excellent bottle. “Would be better cold but that’s not really an option right now. Too bad, too.” A chuckle and he sat back in his chair to watch the sun begin to sink behind the hedges surrounding the garage. “She would have really liked this. My cooking was pretty damn good this time. I wish I could just call her and ask why.” A long drink of the bourbon and he refilled the glass, frowning at nothing. “Why would she do that. I really thought she was happy. Did she feel threatened? It felt too real to be fake.” 

Groaning before standing to pace around the rooftop, several swallows of the warming drink punctuating his questions. “Did she feel like she had to be close to me? What did I do wrong? I made sure she had space. Food. Water… I don’t think I asked or told her to sleep with me. It felt so natural. So … real.” Another pause to refill again reminded him of something he had seen before. “Maybe she used me? I have a hard time believing that though. Nothing was stolen. Well.. my heart was. But I made no promises, did I? And who would want something so broken and cold.”

Turning to look at Dogmeat as if the canine could answer Deas realized his dog had actually left. Leaning a little over the edge of the roof proved that Dogmeat was back at his post, paws crossed and head resting down while he watched the road. “She stole Dogmeat’s heart, too. I can’t imagine she’d be so cruel. And Dogmeat’s very good at reading people.” 

He had lost count of how many times his glass had been refilled by the time he stumbled down the creaky wooden stairs and into the garage. Most of the bottle was empty though and he had set the glass down somewhere. With no cup to be found he had begun drinking straight from the bottle, his shirt unbuttoned and stained from dribbling down his chin. 

Collapsing onto the bed in the garage instead of his office Deas lamented perhaps too loudly that even the bed smelled like her! Voice slurred and bourbon gone, the bottle clumsily set down on the floor, Deas grabbed the pillow in an attempt to get comfortable. More complaints that the world needed to slow down so he could sleep the paladin finally drifted off into an unpleasant but dreamless sleep. Dogmeat came to check up on his snoring master to find the large man hugging the pillow to his chest.

Morning came and went before Dogmeat decided his master had slept in late enough. Ignorant of what a hangover felt like the dog stood in the doorway of the darkened garage and barked. As if a chisel had been hammered through his brain Deas groaned loudly while hiding his face under the pillow.

“Boy… don’t… don’t do that. Your master is an idiot and drank too much.” Moving the pillow proved that yes indeed, the room was spinning and the accusatory dog in the doorway wasn’t helping. “Bucket. Go get a bucket. Extra eggs if you can do that.”

A promise of food always spurred Dogmeat into action and sure enough he left and returned with the cleaning bucket handle in his mouth, empty metal container swinging invitingly to Deas’ stomach. It didn’t take long to regurgitate all the alcohol from the night before, the mirelurk, and a lot of regrets. Fairly certain he had nothing left to lose Deas tried to sit up.

The concerned tilt of Dogmeat’s head confirmed to Deas that he did indeed look like death but for the moment he didn’t care as much. It was a slow struggle to get his hungover self out of the garage and into the kitchenette so he could make something for Dogmeat to eat and get some water for himself. 

“Well boy. You’ve now seen what I was like in college. Congratulate yourself I guess?” The can of purified water went down slowly but it stayed in place. Fairly certain he was done purging the stupid out of his system he started on making the promised mirelurk omelets. “Sorry there Dogmeat. I slept in a little longer than usual didn’t I? Not to mention the mess that would have made… I’m glad you’re smarter than me.”

A wry chuckle and slow careful shake of the head before sliding the cooked eggs into Dogmeat’s bowl. “As promised. Two eggs. You can eat mine since I’m pretty sure eating is a bad idea for me right now.” 

Another can of purified water was in hand as he sat down at the bar looking out into the Red Rocket parking lot. “I think I’ll call for pickup today instead of waiting until the week is up. You’re coming with, right? I’ll be gone longer and I don’t want to leave you here alone for too long.”

Dogmeat answered with a wag of the tail and quick yip, mindful that the last bark probably scrambled Deas’ brains as much as the eggs had been. Running to collect his favorite toys each one was set at Deas’ feet before finally the cushion was dragged in to his master as well.

“Alright. So you’re packed. Let me make the call first and we can go.” Standing and carefully stepping around the chew toys Deas went to the office and flipped on the ham radio. It took a few moments for the radio to connect to the airport but he was eventually able to reach the dispatcher. He could tell in her voice that she knew the Paladin had left to meet with a woman and could guess now that the woman didn’t show. There was so much pity coming through the radio that Deas was surprised it didn’t pool on the desk.

“Yes. If there’s a Vertibird near my position that can get me.” He was tired, his head hurt, and now he got to hear the unspoken cringe in the dispatcher's voice.

“Right.. um … I do have a ‘Bird near you. Redirecting them now. Arrival will be in uh …” There was a pause while the person did some quick math. “Sorry, looks like two hours sir. Sorry you’re.. uh … coming home earlier than expected. I don’t have another ‘Bird available.”

He signed and knew there were probably bets going around as well. Gossiping amongst the brotherhood was almost as bad as the gossip he heard from his long-gone neighbors. “That’s fine. Two hours is perfect. Thanks.” He wasn’t sure why he thanked them but it didn’t matter. The radio was flipped off again before he started going around the garage to shut everything down and lock up. His and Dogmeat’s stuff was packed into a bag to be left outside until their ride arrived.

Two hours passed slowly as Deas tried to keep himself occupied. Too often his thoughts drifted to the week he had spent with Loreth and a sad smile always followed those memories. By the time the Vertibird arrived both him and Dogmeat were waiting outside under the awning, doors and windows locked up to the Red Rocket, and the two looked disheartened. As a last ditch effort Deas had written a note and attached it to the main door into the Garage for her, explaining why she was coming back to an empty place. He suspected the note would still be there when he next had time to hide away at the garage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t forget to leave a KUDO or a comment! <3


	15. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving the Red Rocket and all the hopes behind our Paladin returns to the airport and the waiting paperwork there.

Seated in the Vertibird wearing his marine armor Deas was grateful that the helmet hid his face and muffled his breathing. Turning the in-helmet mic off meant no one could hear his depressed sighs or groans as the ‘Bird rattled through the air. So long as his posture didn’t droop then no one would know his heart was broken and his stomach was lurching. The last thing he needed was troops pitying him but Deas was strongly second-guessing his early departure. After all the drinking the night before he should have stayed at the Red Rocket and dealt with his hangover. Instead he was sitting in the Vertibird that was rattling his battered brain and shaking his unbalanced stomach. 

Also riding with him was an initiate that looked extremely nervous about something as well as a scribe and another Knight in T-45 power armor. Dogmeat was settled down at Deas’ feet with his head resting on his paws relaxed even as the Vertibird churned through the air. No one spoke but the initiate was looking between his teammates as if waiting for something. They ignored him completely though leaning back in their seats and resting as they headed toward airport. 

Finally Deas was curious enough to break the silence hoping for a distraction from the gurgle in his stomach. Turning his expressionless helmet toward the initiate and engaging the helmet’s mic he watched as the already nervous young man turned pale. “Do you have something to report, initiate?” Deas couldn’t help but smile behind the helmet, unseen to the other passengers, when he realized how harsh his voice sounded with the respirator.

“Oh… uh … well … um … There… There was a report. Sir.” The initiate was maybe in his late teens, tall and lanky with the beginning of muscle on his frame but he was clearly at the beginning of his physical training. This told Deas that his team would be assigned to nearby missions or simple technology collections. It was unlikely the initiate had anything important to report in the grand scheme of things but at the same time giving reports to high ranking officials was going to be a part of his future.  _ Might as well give him a hard time now where only his team can see rather then embarrass him in front of everyone. We’ve already lost a lot of our people to the damn war with the Institute, I'd rather not lose more to mishandling. Plus pestering an initiate will distract me from the way this damn ‘Bird is moving.  _

“Was? And now there isn’t one?” Deas leaned forward, one arm resting on his armored knee as the initiate sank lower in his seat. Knowing full well the pose could be intimidating as it put the other person close enough to see their reflection on his helmet but they can’t see his expression. Glancing at the other two he saw the older scribe was at least trying not to chuckle but the knight could be heard quietly laughing behind an armored fist. This told him whatever report he was about to get wasn't important and that it could wait but intimidating the new recruits was always a fun way to pass a flight. The fact that his head hurt and he felt another round of vomit threatening to ruin his flight only made him more vindictive.

“Well you see… uh … It’s just…” Gulping so hard his adams apple bobbed the initiate sank even lower in his seat. “There was um … ghouls? Lots of them? And an explosion? Only one injured and the building is destroyed. Took down a neighboring building, too, but the knight’s alright.” His words spilled out in a jumbled mess of confused thoughts and incomplete sentences to the amusement of his teammates. They both burst out laughing which caused the initiate to turn a rather concerning shade of embarrassment. Frantically patting down his pockets again in a desperate hunt for something, the initiate looked between his teammates and the imposing figure that was the Paladin.

“I’m sorry… Initiate? What the fuck was that? Ghouls are taking down buildings? Or can they use explosions now?” Deas could only shake his head while muting the internal mic long enough to hide his own laughter. “Either way I’ll get a -real- report when we land. I suggest in the future taking notes.”

At the mention of notes both of the more experienced team laughed harder while the initiate checked his pockets for the hundredth time. “I … I thought I did … Sir.” Disheartened at making a fool of himself the initiate was sitting so low in his seat that he looked to be sliding off.

The rest of the flight was quiet except for the mumbled conversation between the scribe and knight discussing the next job they were assigned. Their voices faded into the background of Deas’ attention while he watched the landscape below. Flying closer to the airport at least offered a good view of all the expansions they had been building.

Years ago the brotherhood had taken over Boston airport and cleared out hordes of ghouls before utilizing any remaining time ravaged buildings as their base of operations. Under Maxis’ orders the brotherhood had begun clearing exterior sections of the airport so that now they were able to setup a barricades. They had been working on turning one of the handful of terminals into storage with a mess hall set up in a connected waiting area. Barracks had been built into the other two terminals with bunk beds for their soldiers. Perhaps not the most private situation but it was dry and cement walls offered better protection from any radiation storms that may roll through.

The second floor had been turned into admin offices, a med bay, and private quarters for the officers. His own quarters were on the far end of the second floor with an attached office that he suspected would be filled with reports waiting for him to look over. He had been gone for several weeks working with a nearby settlement on building their defenses and establishing a trade route. Having access to their resources was going to make the airport much easier to sustain.

The real progress though was the small houses and extensive farmland being built within the safety of the airport’s newly completed perimeter walls. An entire airplane hanger had been destroyed long ago leaving only a flat cement foundation behind. This had proven to be perfect for building small houses on and civilians were invited to live and cultivate the land. This of course meant the farmers could live in safety while making sure the brotherhood had access to more food supplies. 

This had been Deas’ idea once the war with the institute was finished. It made sense instead of purchasing the needed supplies from nearby farms and potentially depleting the farmer’s storage he offered those willing to join a safe place to live and farm. New houses were still being built within a decent distance of the airport but it was good to see a few had been completed. Smoke curled up from chimneys and he couldn’t help but smile behind his helmet.

_ Maxis would be furious at me if he could see that I was turning our base into a city. Civilians are the reason why we’ll be surviving better though and with them feeling safe they can create families.  _

Landing at the airport was smooth, thankfully, and the initiate made a hasty exit leaving the seniors to snicker behind. Using their distraction to his advantage Deas came up behind both of them and managed to loom over the scribe. Nearly as tall as the T-60 armor in his marine it was satisfying to see the power armor take a step back.

“You two should really make sure he’s getting proper training.” Deas used the full weight of his rank in his voice, silencing both of the seniors immediately. “Mistakes like that are fine now but later could be detrimental. I want you both to report this to your CO. I’ll be following up to be sure this doesn’t happen again.” Crisp salutes were snapped in reply as they marched inside the airport building much less amused and far more sheepish than before. 

_ It’s nice to see someone I can still scare knights. They have a bad habit of getting to arrogant once they get their power armor. _

Waiting for Dogmeat to get of the ‘Bird and one of the hanger scribes to collect his bag, Deas took the chance to look around the main grounds of the airport. Early afternoon proved to be busy as ever as initiates ran errands, knights were at weapon practice, and a few civilians were lounging just beyond the Authorized Only gate. They had to be careful to make sure the civilians didn’t have easy access to the weapons cache or technology storage. The Brotherhood had setup a separate storage facility for the civilians to use so that they could keep their supplies both separate and within easy access bu logistically the brotherhood couldn’t afford to let just anyone have access to their weapons.

Also within that supply hanger was the Pit where power armor was maintained and repaired. There were a few other projects in place there that Deas definitely didn’t want civilians to know about. Considering the half-rebuilt tank that hunkered at the back of the Pit? There would be some repercussions for resurrecting such heavy artilary. 

Dogmeat at his side and a mind full of what used to be and could have been, Deas made his way to his upstairs office passing several questioning glances and overhearing some quiet whispers. Pausing to check with one of his commanding officers gave him a chance to overhear some of the conversations.  _ So there were bets going that I left to be with a woman. Since I came back early, I guess they think she stood me up. They’re not wrong but I’m a little insulted they’d make bets about this.  _ Grateful again that the helmet disguised his expression he returned the CO’s salute before resuming his walk to the main building. From behind him where the whisperers had been he definitely caught the sound of caps passing hands as he shut the door behind him.  _ Glad someone is profiting off my misery. Might be surprise physical drills later today since they have so much free time.  _

Down several hallways and up a flight of stairs was his own office. The last Paladin had wanted to look imposing and liked more extravagant furnishings but Deas preferred simpler comfortable things. The back area had a curtain around his bed with a dog bed at the foot. A single trunk held some of his more interesting finds and a hidden candy stash for when we went to the settlements. With his armor stand and a power armor station the back half of his quarters it looked cramped but he didn’t mind because it was his space. The room next to this was the one he made sure looked impersonal because that’s where the reports were brought and the meetings were held. A large table in the center had just enough chairs to accommodate the majority of his meeting attendees, bookshelves along part of one wall, and his own large desk against the back window so he could look out at the training grounds.

Getting to his living space so that he could get out of his armor and toss Dogmeat’s bag of toys into the box, his travel bag set down on the trunk to be sorted through later, it wasn’t too long before he was seated as his desk and sorting through the first box of waiting reports.

_ Maybe it’s for the best. I’ll focus on my work and be distracted enough that it won’t matter she stood me up. Reading reports for the next several hours should be the perfect cure for heartache. I’ll be so bored I won’t be able to feel anything by the time this is done!  _ Hiding his chuckle he flipped open the first clipboard to see an inventory list of the last shipment. Dogmeat settled down next to him with a bone to chew on and everything was back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t forget to KUDO or comment please!!!


	16. Reporting for Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deas is back at the airport buried under a mountain of ignored reports, hoping to find a distraction from his broken heart. Never mind the woman he was pining after had an ... accident. 
> 
> Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it? Ignorance is blissful.
> 
> Knowledge can be painful.

Deas had been at work going through inventory and scouting reports for several hours before finally reaching what must have been the report that initiate had tried to give on the Vertibird. Curious as to how ghouls got involved with a destroyed building he was disappointed to see so few details included. Barely a page of information had been written down with the most exciting part being the large count of the mindless monsters that had been killed by a second excursion of knights.

Frowning at the lack of interesting information Deas looked toward the door to his office. Maxim had started the practice of keeping a newer initiate or reprimanded soldier outside his office to run errands. Deas liked the idea since he always seemed to need something while he was in the middle of working and having an assistant at beck and call was extremely helpful. This week’s assistant was a newer scribe that had a penchant for always knowing where people were. “FREDERICK!” The barked order must have startled the scribe as they skittered around the corner almost slipping on the tile. 

“SIR!” A sharp salute hastily snapped in place as she waited for Deas’ order, hoping he wouldn’t notice the book she had hastily stuffed into a pocket.

“The scribe that wrote this report… what was it … Gregory.” Tapping the disappointing report’s clipboard with a finger he looked back up at her. “Go get him on the double.”

“Sir yes sir!” Turning and jogging down the hall she was surprised to see Dogmeat following along. “Going to help me boy? Appreciated!”

Deas sat back in his chair to stretch, chuckling as he could still hear the scribe talking to Dogmeat until they rounded a corner. “Poor boy. He’s probably bored. I don’t think we have any families with kids yet. Maybe I’ll take him for a jog later.” Thinking about being bored he scribbled a quick note to himself to see if Frederick wanted her pick of his library. Sitting outside his office door had to be the most boring post but damn if she wasn’t good at finding what he needed.

Less than half an hour passed before Frederick returned with a haggard looking Gregory in tow, the older scribe winded from the run. “Sir! Here’s Gregory sir.” She exhaled trying to catch her breath, holding a salute until dismissed with a barely concealed smile in place. She had yet to take more than 30 minutes to find anything and it had become a sort of challenge.

“Excellent work as always. Dismissed Frederick. Gregory have a seat. I need to discuss this report with you.” Gesturing to the chair across from his desk Deas glanced at the two of them again. “Is Dogmeat on the loose?” He didn’t realize at first that the canine was missing but hoped he wouldn’t be hearing about the dog begging for scraps in the mess hall again.

“He went to inspect the farms sir. Do you want me to find him?” Hope blossomed in her face, excited for a chance to get outside and do something other then wait on Deas to call out an order. Not that she didn’t mind the chance to read but it was extremely boring at the same time.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Return to your post.” He almost felt bad at how her face fell but with all the work he needed to do she’d be invaluable the next time he needed a scribe or knight. Turning to Gregory who was slumped in the chair as if ready to be chastised Deas exhaled as well. 

“Your report is woefully lacking in detail. I’m hoping you were able to actually collect the needed information and not just guessing at what had happened. I was told a building was destroyed but your report doesn’t explain anything.”

The scribe, an older man in his mid forties with graying hair and wrinkles around his eyes, rubbed the back of his neck to try and ease some tension. He had known the paladin wouldn’t be happy to read his report but he also hoped that it would be the knight he was partnered with that would get the brunt of the trouble. Gregory had never been good at writing out occurrences so Julio usually did it. 

“Tell me what happened in your own words not in attempted military jargon.” Deas sat back in his seat with his hands folded on the desk in front of him. Waiting patiently for the report he turned his whole attention toward the clearly nervous scribe. 

Gregory adjusted in his seat a few times, intimidated by having the paladin’s complete focus, before finally being ready to deliver his report. “Yes sir.” The scribe sat a little taller as he began to re-tell what had happened earlier that week in a way that he hoped would appease the imposing paladin’s curiosity.

 

_ I think the report should probably start about four days ago instead of when I wrote down. It’s kind of important because we were returning from a scouting mission not far from Sunshine Tidings. A few settlers had found an old cabin in the woods out there with a working terminal inside. It took me most of the day to hack into it only to find it had someone’s attempt at writing a story and nothing useful. Still, working parts are working parts and we collected the machine to bring back to the airport for repurposing. Deciding to spend the night in the cabin we found the basement with a few more books that are still readable and lots of paper which is excellent. Anyways, we radioed in to be picked up the next day.  _

_ When morning arrived we left to meet up with the Vertibird at a nearby field where another pair of knights were being dropped off to check on Sunshine. Not sure if anyone told you but they’ve had more raiders spotted out there. There’s always two knights stationed now just in case those bastards get brave enough to try again. Too many raiders lately in my opinion. Things are getting dicey. We thought Super Mutants were bad but these raiders are getting too bold. _

_ Anyways! Our flight back was pretty quiet. Or at least as quiet as a flight with Julio can be. He was telling the same old story about the time he stumbled onto a deathclaw and mirelurk queen again. If you haven’t heard it the story takes a few hours to tell and it’s always getting longer. Since Boston has been a hotbed of super mutants and raiders lately Julio had plenty of time to talk. Pilots have been told to go around most of Boston instead of flying directly to the airport which means a quick flight becomes now a three hour flight listening to Julio’s stupid stories. _

_ He makes for good background noise though and I’m used to his talking so I could tune him out. Not sure about the pilot though since they can’t just disable their headsets like I can. But either way I was keeping watch out the ‘Bird’s window to see if there was anything worth investigating. It was right around the time in the story where the Mirelurk King shows up that I saw the horde of ghouls streaming out of an old garage. “Huh, that’s a lot… Looks like they’re chasing someone?” Talking to Julio is a waste most of the time so I had to switch my mic to the pilot’s channel and get his attention over Julio’s Mirelurk Queen impression. If you haven’t heard him try to do that I recommend it. Always funny but also very loud. “Slow down, there’s something going on below us. Can you circle this block a few times?” _

_ Our Vertibird pilot hovered for a moment so I could get our bearings and I realized we were flying over the Revere Beach Subway Station entrance. Not too many people use that one simply because of all the raiders in the area usually. This time though it looked cluttered with piles of trash and cars. The real interesting thing was the stream of maybe 100 ghouls chasing someone through the alleys and down the street. Watching the ghouls I swear it looked like the only way was down the road what with all the junk blocking the alleys and side roads. There was even the remains of a bus in front of one alley that looked like it was mostly exploded, brickwork charred real bad and the road blackened. Reminded me a lot of when we had to funnel some mongrels out of a parking garage. Cut off all their escapes so they can only go into our traps. Makes the work easier and the cleanup even more so. _

_ “Hey, Julio, check out your window. Can you count how many ghouls are down there?” I said this to my partner knowing it was probably not the best thing to ask because his idea of counting ghouls is by killing them. Sure enough, as soon as I spoke the Vertibird jostled and I heard the tell-tale whistle of his stupid suit of power armor dropping down. I don’t know if his landing had anything to do with it but an entire building exploded just as he hit the ground. The shockwave from the building exploding ended up sending the Vertibird reeling so hard to one side I almost fell out! That first building took down a second which crumpled over the top of a majority of the monsters below us and I got to see it all while clinging to the Vertibird’s door. Not the best angle to catch any details but it was pretty impressive. I thought for sure all the ghouls were taken care of since a brick building just landed on them. Now I just had to get myself down to Julio before he did something rash like wreck a third building. _

_ “Pilot, my idiot partner jumped down there. Circle back around and drop the rope for me. I’ll go down and make sure he doesn’t get stuck again.” I suspect I sounded tired which is normal. If the pilot reports more obscenities it’s probably accurate. I may have also threatened to leave Julio behind but he is still my partner. Maybe not an easy partner to work with most of the time but we’ve been together for years now and he’s kept things interesting no doubt there. _

_ Anyways, as I got lowered I watched the survivor that had been running from the ghouls hiding behind some crates at the entrance of an alleyway. Hell, they were so covered in blood and dirt I don’t think they even saw me and Julio. Watching them crouch behind some boxes it looked like they were arguing with someone so I figured they had a headset and backup. Not very common but you never can tell sometimes. Julio was the one who saw that ghouls were crawling out of the rubble. He shouted something at me about taking cover as he got his weapon around and aimed at the downed building. _

_ I was standing a little behind Julio, safest place to be sometimes, when I watched that survivor start to limp out of their hiding place. Shouting for them to get back behind cover didn’t register, I don’t think they could hear me. The ghouls must have caught wind of all the blood covering the survivor though because they started to claw free of the rubble and charge down the street. Might have been the most frightening thing I had ever seen. One lone person badly injured trying to escape more ghouls then I had ever seen in one place and they couldn’t move very fast, or in a straight line but they were trying all the same. _

_ Ghouls were crawling out of the rubble to race toward that poor survivor making that horrible scream sound they do. Always makes my skin crawl! Julio got ready to fight them off while yelling at me to go get the survivor. Not the words he used though, but I knew what he meant. Just as I was starting to jog across the street I watched as the survivor slipped and landed hard on their probably already broken arm. A ghoul was within charging distance getting ready to dive at them when the civilian fired off a clumsy shot. They missed pretty badly and I saw them look down at their pistol and back at the ghoul that was maybe five steps away. Looking at their condition I had to decide what to do. I knew it took a moment for Julio’s gun to really get up to speed and the civilian must not have seen us because they never once looked our way.  _

_ “Julio hold on! I gotta get them out of the way!” My partner nodded and I saw the gatling gun start to spin up so I only had a few seconds. Just as I reached the civilian they raised their pistol to their head and I acted. Pulling their gun back just in time the bullet flew so close past my head it actually chipped my helmet! But they were alive and there was a ghoul almost on top of us, so close I could smell the radiation oozing off of it. Julio would be proud of my spontaneous decision and for once the knight actually listened to me! I shouted for him to just fire, hoping he’d aim around us. Using my own 10mm to take out the ghoul almost on top of the civi and me I then dragged the injured person out of the way. They had passed out so I was dragging a limp body and they were kind of heavy but I gave Julio the all clear. Reaching the wall closest to my partner I checked to make sure the survivor was actually still surviving and that’s when I realized the person was a woman. she was beat all to hell with I think at least a broken arm and some broken ribs, because of how hard she was working to breathe, probably a broken ankle but it was hard to tell. Blood and dirt and sweat, plus some of the early signs of radiation poisoning. I knew we had to get her back to the airport fast if she was going to live and I wanted to know how the hell she found so many ghouls! _

_ Thankfully, Julio did his favorite job and mowed down the ghouls which gave us enough cover that I could get her onto the Vertibird. Your idea to keep an airlift bed on every Vertibird was a damn good one, sir. She was unconscious the whole time and looked like shit, but lived to get to the airport. When we got back Julio grabbed a handful more knights and some trainees to go take care of the last of the ghouls and make sure they weren’t going to find their way to our base. _

_ When I heard from him the other day he told me they had killed about two hundred or so ghouls, found where they had been penned up, and even found where the woman had been laying traps. One of her land mines was a dud but scared a scribe real good. No one wants to find those just laying around.  _

 

His tale finished, face a little flushed from the excitement of retelling the thrilling adventure that for once he got to be a part of instead of just hearing Julio talk, Gregory was sitting forward in his seat. “And that’s it, sir. Everything. I probably won’t forget it either! I know we’re not supposed to gossip so I haven’t spread the word but you and I both know Julio’s been talking.”

Throughout the story Gregory had been watching a variety of expressions cross Deas’ face but it wasn’t until reaching the end that he saw something unexpected. Even as the room fell silent the scribe felt like he should keep talking to cover up the fear he had seen cross the paladin’s face.  _ Something about this spooked him? It was a lot of ghouls but we handled it. What has him looking like he saw a ghost? _

Deas, for his part, spent most of the story staring at the scribe as though he was reciting some tall tale. It wasn’t until he described the woman, her land mines, her explosions, that the paladin’s heart started to race.  _ Holy shit. If that was Loreth then she almost died while I was busy drinking and sulking like an asshole. Land mines are her specialty and Revere Station isn’t far from Nardhagen.  _ Leaning further back into his seat Deas stared past the scribe toward the door behind the man. Just past those double doors and down the hall was the medbay. She was likely still in there and he had been sulking in his office like a spoiled toddler. 

“Uh… Sir?” Gregory looked behind him in case there was someone there. Seeing just the closed door he looked back at the paladin confused. “Should I go get Julio for his report?”

“What? No. Thank you. You’re dismissed.” Absently waving the scribe away Deas tried to decide what he wanted to do. He should go down the hall to see her. Another glance at the report confirmed she was listed as last being left in the care of Medic Charles.  _ She’s been here. The whole fucking time. I was moping that she had avoided me when actually she was dodging DEATH. I am an ASSHOLE! I don’t think I once thought about her -safety- just my own satisfaction. _

Gregory closed the door behind him and Deas just sunk in his seat, burdened under shame.  _ Oh my god I never once even worried if she was hurt or dead. I wondered why she didn’t want me. I thought about me. Never her. And here she is, recovering from broken bones and radiation in my base cared for by my people that she said she didn’t trust.  _

Somewhere down the hall Deas heard a clatter and cursing, the quick bark of Dogmeat, and then a door slam open. Exhaling slowly as he stood he reached the door and paused willing to bet Dogmeat discovered the mercenary first


	17. Man’s Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Come with Dogmeat as he explores the airport! Everyone loves Dogmeat and there’s much to see. Who knows, maybe he’ll find a new friend?

Following the scribe down the hall to look for a specific human Dogmeat happily kept up with the hurried pace. Running through the halls they passed several humans that smelled like gunpowder but gave him quick pats on the head. These were part of his Human’s pack and nice but he was busy helping the female human. She was on a hunt and he was bored since his Human was still back in the chair and the quiet room.

Once the man she was looking for was found they all ran back toward the quiet boring room where his Human was still. Going back there was going to be less fun then exploring and a lot has changed since the last time Dogmeat got to visit! 

Making sure both humans safely made it to the quiet room where his Human was working, Dogmeat decided to continue exploring. Heading outside the main airport building he was free to run across the courtyard toward the fences surrounding the new farmland. Everything here smelled like turned earth and working humans, a few Brahmin, and dead plants but that was all pretty normal. The humans here didn’t seem to recognize him and he got very few pats and no happy words which was not as fun as he had been hoping for. 

Bored with them and their working he wandered next to the construction sounds going on nearby. A few of the working humans here recognized him and even asked for tools! Fetch was his favorite game and he wanted to be helpful. The praise and pets made the challenge more fun and so Dogmeat spent a good while helping before getting tired. 

Long ago his Human had set up a place for other guard dogs even though they didn’t have any yet. Dogmeat hoped that soon the puppies would be grown enough for training but knew they were living with other humans somewhere else until then. What they did have was a dish for water and a human was nice enough to clean it out and put fresh water in there for him. The drink felt good and he was about to head back to the workers when he caught the scent of something interesting. 

Following the smell Dogmeat came across the workshop where power armor was being repaired and maintained. Julio was there re-telling the story of how he single handedly took out nearly a hundred ghouls. The mechanics weren’t listening and seemed much more interested in giving Dogmeat a few pieces of jerky and all the ear scratches one canine could hope for. 

“You’re not even listening. I’m serious this time! A good hundred ghouls were crawling out of the rubble after Gregory! If I hadn’t been there him and the civi would be dead!”

“Riiiight. Julio you and your stories are notorious for being exaggerated. Dogmeat here has definitely been a more amazing hero than you.” One of the mechanics, currently busy with tying a bandana around Dogmeat, chuckled at the face Julio was making. Picking on the knight was always fun and the mechanics rarely missed an opportunity. 

“Well ya, that’s because he works with the Paladin! I work with GREGORY! We spend more time hunting down old scraps of paper than anything else.” Actually sulking, Julio grabbed up a can of oil to carefully apply the precious liquid to the joints of his armor. “I bet if I worked with the paladin I’d have even better stories.”

Several of the mechanics only laughed and nudged him playfully. “Stories of Dogmeat’s amazing deeds you mean!”

Hearing his name Dogmeat came over expecting more attention only to have Julio scowl at him a little. “You’re hogging all the spotlight. Why don’t you go find out if they need some help sorting through the ruined building.”

Julio was chastised by the mechanics as Dogmeat walked away, tail and ears down. Everyone else at the airport, except for the new humans in the field, were nice and loved him. Coming here always meant work, challenges, and attention. Deciding the machine pit didn’t want him there anymore Dogmeat made his way back inside the airport itself, up the stairs, and was starting his way down the long hall toward his Human.

Passing him was one of the humans in the long coat that always smelled of sickness and pain. This time, though, the man smelled like something else. Someone else! Excitement spurred the dog on and he collided with the human, crashing a tray in his hands across the tile floor and causing a long string of curses. It didn’t matter though as Dogmeat recognized that smell right away!

Leaping off that human and barreling down the hall toward where the small was strongest Dogmeat slammed through the swinging double doors and paused to let his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness.

Sure enough, laying there on one of the hospital beds was the very human he had been waiting for! She smelled like pain and chemicals and blood but she was there! Barking happily he scampered over to her and ran excited circles around the bed!

“Oh hey! It’s you! You remember me do you? Man you’re loud though. Shush there. Ssshhh it’s not that exciting!” Loreth laughed brightly as the canine hopped up with his front paws on the bed to lick at her hands happily. “Wow you really missed me! I figured you’d forget all about me.” Something in her voice cracked and Dogmeat tilted his head to look at her. Deciding that this human needed him he climbed onto the bed and carefully maneuvered around her legs before laying down. His body lay stretched out along her legs, head resting on her thigh, and just sighed happily up at the woman. This was the human that made his Human happy. That made him happy to see her again!

“Well look at you! Comfy? I’m glad one of us is. I think most of the chems are out of me, the radiation’s mostly gone, but damn if I don’t hurt.” Laying back into the pillows behind her Loreth rested a hand on Dogmeat’s head. “It’s nice knowing you’re here though. That means he is. I can explain myself to him. Do you think he’s mad?” She lifted her head to look at the dog and just chuckled. “I doubt it. The way you missed me? I bet he did, too. I feel bad boy. I couldn’t even send word. I only just really woke up this morning and didn’t think anyone would believe me if I said I knew X-01.”

A long slow exhale scented strongly with more chemicals and she looked across the room toward the door. “I almost hope they’d give me more for the pain but I know Med-X is super rare and most pain medicines are hard to make. Not to mention find. Plus it’s too easy to get addicted to the damn things.” 

From the doorway came a very disgruntled voice belonging to the man Dogmeat had knocked over before. “So that’s where the mutt went. Dogmeat! You can’t be in here! You probably have fleas or something and I don’t want my medbay infested!”

Loreth frowned and struggled to sit up again only to find that Dogmeat’s head was on her belly now and much heavier than expected. “Hey, quit yelling. If he wants to keep me company then I don’t mind! I welcome someone to talk to that isn’t just going to bitch about something.”

Scowling as she spoke the man set a pitcher of water next to her bed. “Drink more water. You’re still dehydrated from the chems and blood loss.” His order was more of a demand followed up with a sharp glare at Dogmeat. “And if you feel itchy you kick the mutt out.”

“Ya, ya, ya. Sir Bitch-a-lot is making demands again. You need to get laid or something. Chill out.” Yawning wide as she buried her fingers into the scruff of Dogmeat’s fur the mercenary started to drift off to sleep again. Something about having a warm body next to her was comforting and Dogmeat reminded her of much happier places. Safer places. Less painful places. 

Resting on her belly Dogmeat could sense the pain in this human. Her fingers were slowly petting his head and neck but would twitch now and then from the ache. Trying to be as soothing and as comforting as possible Dogmeat laid very still until she started to sleep. Once the human’s breathing slowed down and she didn’t seem as troubled did he bother napping as well.

Almost half an hour passed before Dogmeat heard voices outside the Medbay doors. It was familiar but hard to place until the scent reached him. Careful not to jostle the delicate human woman he climbed off the bed and paused halfway through the room. Sure enough he could smell the older human male from before and got excited. That meant his Human might be done! Racing out of the medbay Dogmeat didn’t realize that the grumpy human in the coat was on the other side of the door and so the hasty exit slammed the door into his back. Yet again a tray of metal implements went skittering across the floor and more cursing followed the canine as he raced down the hallway.

Deas stood in the hall as Dogmeat came running toward him barking happily. “Alright alright. Yes. I bet I know who you found.” Laughing at his dog Deas followed the excited k-9 back down the hall at a hesitant jog, ignoring the grumbling medic.  _ Good to know she really is here. And she’s alive. But is she mad at me? I didn’t even ask after her. She’s been here for a few days and I could have known before if I had only asked…  _

Impatient for his Human to hurry Dogmeat jogged ahead a few steps and held the swinging doors open, his tail wagging at full speed and tongue lolling out to show his excitement. Seeing his Human pause just beyond the opening of the door Dogmeat barked twice, dropped into a playful pose, and then raced ahead to climb back up onto the bed. 

Still in the hallway with his hand resting on the door Deas could hear her voice inside, her tired chuckle, and his heart clenched in guilt.  _ At least she’s safe. At least she’s alive. And she doesn’t sound mad…  _ Exhaling a slow breath he stepped into the medic ward and saw her in the bed. Bandages were wrapped around her torso, a cast on one arm and another cast on a leg, her face was pale with tension showing the pain she felt. But she tried to smile and all he could do is stand there.  _ There she is. What do I say? I should say something? What am I supposed to do in this situation… _


	18. Hospital Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeing someone you care for in a hospital is always difficult   
> What do you say?   
> What can you do for them?
> 
> How do you tell them you’re sorry?

_ Why is he just standing there?? Do I really look that bad?! Is he mad at me? I can’t tell if he looks mad. Dogmeat’s happy so that’s something I guess.  _ Loreth watched as Deas just stood in the middle of the medic bay, his hands in his pockets and an odd mix of emotions across his face.  _ Maybe he is mad. I can’t tell. If he’d just say something!!  _ She tensed when he opened his mouth and ended up wincing as the torn muscle in her back sent spikes of pain through her. Agony dominoed into her arm and then caused the broken leg to start hurting again. A sharp intake of breath as she rode the wave of agony while Dogmeat whimpered next to her on the bed.

“Not you boy. It’s fine.” A little shaky still she gave him a gentle head scratch before turning to look at Deas. “You um … Want a seat?”  _ Maybe he didn’t notice. Maybe he won’t say anything. I don’t want him thinking I’m weak but damn if this doesn’t hurt. _

Watching her in pain brought him a few steps closer out of concern and Deas was half tempted to call for one of the medics. Loreth recovered when he was only two steps away from her and she even tried another little smile. She was paler than before with beads of sweat across her face. Hearing the breathy quality of her voice Deas could only nod. Choosing to sit on one of the hospital beds next to her instead of on her bed he watched as she lay back onto the pile of pillows. “Can I get you anything?” He had no idea what to say, what to do, but seeing her in so much pain made him feel helpless, useless.  _ Maybe I should let her rest. Let her heal first. Should she be sleeping instead of talking to me? _

Half chuckling she watched her fingers smooth over Dogmeat’s head, the repetitive motion soothing her nervousness. “I’m doing pretty good, all things considered. The pain wasn't so bad. And Dogmeat here for company is pretty nice.” Glancing back at the paladin she saw a flash of guilt cross his face. “Someone who can actually talk would be good. I haven’t had much company the last few weeks. That is… If you’re allowed?” The way she said that also made him wonder if she meant  _ If you want to. _

“I’m allowed to do just about anything I want. And If anyone complains they can file it with Dogmeat.” An attempted grin was followed by him standing and moving over to sit on the edge of her bed, mindful of jostling her and causing more pain. He realized though this was putting them very close. Close enough to feel the heat off her body and the smell of antiseptic used on her injuries.  _ Should I have asked first before moving over? Am I crowding her? I’m definitely overthinking things.  _ “Unless you’d rather the Brotherhood gave you some space?” He watched her face, her body language, holding his breath in the hopes that she could understand his unspoken question ‘ _ Unless you don’t want me this close to you’ _ .

“I’ve started to think that maybe the Brotherhood here in the commonwealth aren’t as bad as the ones in Washington.” Her tired green eyes met his brown ones and they sat like that for several rapid heart beats. “Kinda thinking I could get used to their company, you know?” Speaking in unvoiced sentiments she watched the reactions across his features and hoped.  _ I want to be here. I decided you were worth living for. How do I put that into words? How do I tell you that I thought of you before I died, not myself, not my past friends, but you. _

Tentatively he reached out to touch the back of her hand with his fingers and watched as she laced their hands together. “I am … I …”  _ Shit what do I say. How do I use the words that I want to use without sounding … needy? Desperate?  _ A quiet chuckle at himself and at the expression she was wearing, Deas lifted her hand to his lips to gently kiss the back of her bruised knuckles. “I am extremely glad you think that. I know there is a mercenary that I would truly like to know better.” He felt his face getting warm and when he finally looked up at her to see what expression was on her face the answering flush was not what he expected.

“Is that so? Well then … If you uh … Got some free time I’m on bed rest for a few more days. We could maybe chat for a while?” Pretty sure her face was as red as his Loreth held tight to his hand, savoring the warmth of it and the feel. Calluses from his weapon training and rough life gave character to the surprisingly gentle touch. When his second hand folded over the back of hers she felt as if her heart would explode, a smile unconsciously spreading on her face as the warmth from his touch soothed the tension through her body.

“I would like that. And bed rest might be more comfortable in your own quarters instead of here? I could arrange to have them move you to the room next to mine. You would have your own door, your own lock, your own everything so there would be privacy but I would be within shouting distance if you needed anything. And there’s always a scribe outside my office to run errands if anything came up and I wasn’t there.” He wanted her to accept. He wanted her to be comfortable and damn anyone that complained a mercenary was moving into officer quarters. The room wasn’t being used and he didn’t have any plans to promote someone to a rank that would get it anyway. And he wanted her nearby. Not to protect her but to do just as he had said: get to know her. Learn more about the amazing woman that escaped all those ghouls alive.

_ My own room? My own space here in the middle of the Brotherhood base? Would mean I could turn the damn light off and sleep for once…  _ “I like the idea for sure, but I’m not Brotherhood. I’m willing to bet there’s people that are going to not be happy about me taking one of the rooms.”

Thinking about what she said he had to nod in agreement. “I’m sure there’s people that will be upset but I learned a long time ago that I can’t please everyone. At the same time I don’t have an officer planned for that room and no one I anticipate promoting any time soon.” Giving her hand a gentle squeeze to be reassuring, he glanced toward Dogmeat. “You want her close too, right? We both missed you and you’ll heal better if you have some peace.”

Chuckling as she lay back against the pillows Loreth could only nod. “That’s true. And I’d sleep better with a shut door. Feels safer, you know?” He still held her hand between both of his so she knew he felt the slight shudder that coursed through her.  _ I came too close to death. Sleeping was hard before but now? I don’t know if I’ll feel safe for a while. A locked door though. Now that will help. No windows. Quiet. Might be what I need to heal my mind.  _ Looking at him and the concerned expression he wore she tugged him closer to her, wanting to feel that she wasn’t alone. Dogmeat’s warmth and presence helped but Deas was who she thought of at those last moments. “Maybe if I’m not under his care that medic guy can get some action. Never met someone so bitchy all the time.” The attempt at joking was her way of distracting from the fear she remembered. The ghostly sound of ghoulish feet slapping on pavement behind her. The tang of gunpowder in her nose as she raised the pistol. Another slight shudder went down her spine but either he didn’t notice or he didn’t bring attention to it.

Deas laughed at her joke and couldn’t help nodding in agreement. “He’s good at his job but yes, he could use some stress relief.”  _ She’s at least making jokes and trying to not think about whatever happened. I can see she’s afraid, or haunted maybe. There’s a darkness behind her eyes but she can joke. She’ll heal and she’s strong.  _ Deas could only shake his head and chuckle a little more, thinking about how the medic’s expression would sour if he could hear them.

Loreth was startled to hear him laugh before joining in weakly. Laughing still hurt her broken ribs but it was good to hear him and see his smile. The fact that the sudden laugh shattered the replaying memory was even more valuable to her.  _ He reminds me what it’s like to be human. Reminds me to see what could be. I’ve been on my own for so long I forgot how nice it is to actually talk to someone. And I came so close to death all because I gave up. He’s worth it. He’s worth fighting and surviving for. And I think with him I can do more than survive. I can thrive. _

Somewhere behind the swinging doors both Deas and Dogmeat caught the sound of someone grumbling. A glance to Loreth proved she didn’t notice, her expression a gentle but sad one, so Deas gave Dogmeat a glance then a look toward the door.  _ Whoever is out there had better not cause this woman any more trouble. She’s been through so much. _

Understanding his job was now to keep watch instead of comfort the canine carefully got off the bed and went over to lay down across the doorway. Since the door swung both ways anyone trying to come in would be stopped by the dog’s body. Sprawled out on the cool tile, his head resting on his paws so he could relax, Dogmeat half closed his eyes and watched the humans.

Loreth gave Deas and then Dogmeat a confused look until the paladin gave a quick tap to his ear and a gesture toward the door.  _ Oooooh we’re being spied on. Interesting. I wonder….  _ A knowing nod and she gestured for him to get closer so she could whisper something into his ear.

_ Ah she caught on. Nosy medics. Well the rest of the base is going to hear soon enough that me and the merc are friendly.  _ Leaning closer, curious what she wanted to tell him, Deas was wide eyed when she sat forward quickly and planted a kiss on his lips. A full two rapid heartbeats took place before he returned the gesture. Moving both of his hands to rest carefully on her upper back he helped take some of the strain off her injuries as well as hold her close against him. His focus was entirely on the warmth and softness that was the woman’s embrace, forgetting in a selfish moment that her ribs were also broken. Her unbandaged hand held the back of his neck to keep him in her embrace but he wouldn’t have left for all the caps in the commonwealth. The taste of her tongue against his, the careful bite on his lip that sent blood scorching through his veins. When she moaned softly the sound erased all thoughts of eavesdroppers from his mind. Deathclaws could be rampaging downstairs and he wouldn’t have noticed over the feel of her body pressed against his.

The medics behind the swinging doors definitely noticed the kiss though! Both the medic assigned to keep watch on Loreth and Scribe Frederick had been peeking through the barely cracked door when the mercenary pulled Deas in for a kiss. Like embarrassed children the two adults chuckled and then blushed as the exchange continued for several scorching minutes. As Deas leaned back to catch his breath and Loreth was carefully nestled into the pillows by the paladin both spies were vibrant red and inching away from the door. 

Whispering urgently as they scampered down the hall neither of them noticed Dogmeat following along behind them. “If he finds out we were spying we’re both doomed.” Frederick looked back toward the receding medbay doors and saw Dogmeat and heard the beginnings of a bark. “Oh no… Don’t rat us out boy. Jerky! I’ll bring you Jerky tomorrow. Even Eric will, RIGHT Eric?” Hurrying to prevent Dogmeat from alerting his master to the intruders she knelt in front of the canine to plead.

The medic merely nodded, distracted by the mental image of the imposing paladin and a bandaged up mercenary. “Ya ya. Sure. Tomorrow.” He was surprised that the paladin actually had enough empathy to be close to another person, let alone be so intimate! Of all the years they had worked together, he'd rarely seen Deas do more than shake hands with someone but here was the paladin making out with a -mercenary- of all people!

“There, see? Deal? We’ll bring you some jerky and you don’t let the paladin know we saw…” Frederick held a hand out for Dogmeat and was not even surprised when Dogmeat shook on it.

“Are you seriously making a deal with a dog? You get hit in the head recently?” Eric was pulled out of his distracting train of thought as the scribe and Dogmeat shook ‘hands’. 

“No, I just happen to know Dogmeat always keeps his promises so long as youkeep your end of the deal.” Frederick stood again and looked between the medic and the medbay doors. “I mean, I doubt anyone is really gonna notice the two of them, you know? We can go days without seeing Paladin Deas sometimes because of all the paperwork. And he usually works with the office door shut so what’s to say he doesn’t slip back through his quarters and spend time with her? Maybe it'll be good for him, you know? Make him less …grumpy” The last bit was said with a sideways glance at Eric to see if he caught she was picking on him.

“This is true. Only now we won’t see him for days at a time because of Mercenary Work.” A smirk at his play on words Eric flinched when she slugged his shoulder. He really didn’t see why they had to keep this quiet. It was just a fling and he assumed would only last until the mercenary got bored.

“Watch what you say! Word gets out he’ll know it was us and you know he hates gossip and spies…” She glanced again down the hall before urging the medic to follow her lead and make for the mess hall. “Besides. It’s almost dinner prep and I’m on Tato chopping duty. Let’s go. I’d much rather keep tato chopping chores instead of privy cleaning! That’s been his favorite punishment lately.”


	19. Back to Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as the two would like there isn’t much time before duty returns. 
> 
> As much as Deas would like to spend more time with her he knows there’s more that needs to be done before things can calm down.

As pleasant as the conversation had been, and the other attentions he afforded her, Loreth was still tired and the injuries were starting to ache again. The promise of having her own space and a door she could close was tempting and she desperately wanted a safe place to sleep. Not that she felt unsafe in the medbay but there were windows and doors that people came in and out of at weird hours. Stifling a yawn she watched the concern on his face. “I’m fine. Just tired. Don’t look at me like I’m delicate.”

“You’re not delicate. I know this. But I did need to ask…” Sitting up so that she was no longer laying on his shoulder and adjusting so he was looking at her directly, the concern on his features faded to instead a more professional look. “I need to know what you found with the ghouls. I’m thinking that was a trap or a planned attack on the commonwealth. Maybe even the airport.”

Exhaling slowly and adjusting to be more comfortable now that her source of heat left her side, Loreth nodded at him. “Fair point. I think it was setup by raiders to be honest. I found a raider mark on a pillar but it’s not one I recognize. And the ghouls had been led there, contained, and starved. They’d attack anything for food once let out.” She watched his face, judging his expression, and frowned when he looked away from her toward the medbay doors.  _ He knows something. Or suspects something. _

“A raider mark you don’t recognize. You’ve got a reputation for raider hunting so an unknown gang you haven’t encountered before worries me. A gang capable of corralling that many ghouls? They’re up to something. But where are they coming from.” Deas stood and paced a few steps around her bed. “I’m going to have them bring you into my office. I have a map there where I’ve been keeping track of raider movement. You might have info that can help update it.”

He looked her over and frowned again. “I’ll keep it quick so you can rest. But after everything you’ve told me? I’m definitely thinking something bigger is in the works.”

A nod and she sat up further with only a slight wince. “I can probably limp my way down the hall if you give me a hand.” Her pride hurt at asking for help but her body hurt more. Stressing herself and forcing herself to walk on her own would only make things worse and she knew it.  _ Besides, I’m selfish enough to want more contact from him.  _ A small smile tugged at her lips though to Deas it looked more like a grimace.

“Of course! Hold on, let me call for Frederick so she can collect a few scribes and the reports I want. They’ll probably have them ready by the time you get down the hall.” Teasing a little, he went to the medbay doors and was surprised to see his scribe was gone. “Huh…” Looking down at Dogmeat laying in the doorway Deas nudged the canine with his boot gently. “Go get Frederick. I expected her to still be out here spying.”

An excited yip echoed through the area as Dogmeat stood and began an easy run toward the mess hall where he knew the female human was last. Collecting the woman could also mean getting his jerky sooner! Nothing encouraged a quick errand quite like the promise of food.

Returning to Loreth to see her already out from under the blankets Deas could see the cast on one leg covering up to her knee showing she had taken more damage then he had realized. She was watching him, her face a little pale, and stuck her tongue out at him like a child.

“Don’t just stare. Yes, I almost got my ass kicked by ghouls. Now give me a hand so I can get down to your fancy office and see these maps.” She stood, weight focused on the less injured leg, and held a hand out to him. 

“Of course. Sorry.” Mindful of her broken ribs he slid an arm around her hips so he could be a crutch for the injured leg, her arm around his shoulders, and they started heading toward the end of the hall and his office. A part of him felt bad for how long the hallway was but he also enjoyed the chance to hold her.

Frederick, with Dogmeat and Eric behind her, came around the corner at a jog looking worried. The medic was scowling as he watched his patient limping along with the paladin. “Pardon me,  _ sir,  _ but why is my patient out of her bed? She needs REST, not a WALK.” 

Deas was careful to make sure she was balanced on her own before turning to look at Eric, his brow quirked upwards in a rather surprised expression. Eric was definitely known for his lack of respect toward authority but Deas had never heard someone use that tone with him before! “She has information that I need. Why don’t we have a wheelchair?” He had always let the medics police themselves but being so blatantly disrespected didn’t sit well with him at all. A mental note was made to have a discussion with his med team to be sure they understood that they were still under his command even if they had their own hierarchy. The way Eric was acting had Deas wondering if perhaps the team had forgotten they were indeed a part of the same brotherhood.

Eric scowled even more but looked away from his superior officer. It was clear on the Paladin’s face that he had gone too far.  _ That tone is going to come back to bite me in the ass I bet…  _ “Because the last one was broken, sir… Let me get her next round of antibiotics and pain meds so she can be clearer headed.” Excusing himself to retreat back into the medbay, Eric hoped some obedience would balance out his behavior.  _ The last thing I need is the other medics being mad at me again.  _

Turning to Frederick Deas issued new orders, ignoring the way Eric all but sulked back to the medbay. “Find a few more scribes and all the reports we have on Raider activity for the last 6 months. I want those brought to the conference room on the double.”

Orders issued and an exchange of quick salutes sent Frederick sprinting down the hall back the way she had come so that he and Loreth could continue their careful progression. Sliding his arm around the mercenary again he dropped his stern expression. Lowering his voice and talking about less stressful things that made her laugh turned the rest of their walk much more pleasant. He loved to hear her laugh and see her smile even if he could tell she was in pain.  _ Hopefully this can help distract her from the ache long enough to get her settled and on some more pain meds. _

The hallway felt longer than it really was and by the time they made it to his office she was clearly exhausted. Eric had been following along behind them with his usual grumpy expression, a tray in his hands holding a small cup of pills, a pitcher of water, a cup, and the tell-tale syringe of Med-X. A few scribes had gone past them with boxes in their arms, rushing to make sure they had everything ready for the paladin’s arrival only a few minutes behind them.

The map had been attached to an old chalkboard on wheels years ago which proved useful in situations like this. Moving it out of the back closet and to the center of the room afforded everyone a good view. Pins and pieces of paper had been used to keep track of different raider camps as well as super mutant locations. Each raider camp had their mark drawn on a piece of paper and pinned to their last known location. Three scribes including Frederick were sorting through boxes of reports and making piles for each known raider group.

Setting Loreth into a seat Deas took his own nearby and pulled a clipboard of paper to him. Asking for Loreth’s report again Deas wrote down what she said trying to not show the worry and cringing as she described all the near-death occurrences. He was reminded again and again as she spoke that this woman was not weak or in need of protecting. She was nothing like the wife he had lost along with his previous life and she was clearly a product of this world. 

With her report completed and the other reports sorted into piles Deas set everyone to the task of looking for records of raider movement in the area where she had found the ghouls. Settlers and merchants often reported to the brotherhood anytime they saw raiders up to something. That often helped Deas and his team figure out where the gangs had come from, or maybe where they were going. This was just a bigger task as so far none of the reports he and his scribes had included that mark.

“Deas, sir, I was looking through some older records and I don’t see that mark in any of the notes.” Frederick held out the clipboard that had diagrams of each known gang marking listed along with number killed, captured, or found dead.

“Nothing? So it must be a new one but from where? Last time our maps were updated we didn’t see anything close enough to the commonwealth to support a significant group.” Deas looked up from the missive in his hand to the map on the board. “So we don’t know where this group is coming from. We need to figure out where they’ve been. Let’s track all the activity for the last 6 months.”

Loreth watched from her seat as the pins were removed from the map and the group worked to coordinate new pins to show which gang went where, attacked what settlement… Her mind was spinning trying to keep up but she was starting to suspect the pain meds and antibiotics were the cause. Try as she might to keep up with the activity her head was so heavy, eyes closing…

Dropping her voice when she looked over to see the mercenary asleep, Frederick tapped on Deas’ arm. “Sir. You should have someone put her in bed. The pain meds must be finally kicked in.”

He looked over and couldn’t help but smile a little. The mercenary had fallen asleep with her head pillowed on the unbandaged arm and the tiniest of snores escaped. “I got her. Finish mapping those last few. I’m thinking these raiders are coming from the west area…”

Careful not to wake her Deas scooped the mercenary up in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder while still sleeping. With an arm behind her back and a second under her knees the paladin carried her to the empty officer’s room that he was going to have her use. As he had requested earlier the bed was clean and blankets pulled back so all he had to do was lay her down. A pitcher of water and a cup was next to the bed along with a book he thought she’d like. 

_ This should be perfect. A quiet place to rest and recover. After what she told me? I think she will need some time to think over things. Near death experiences like that are hard enough for a soldier with companions to help. I can’t imagine what it was like to be alone.  _ He gently brushed hair back behind her ear before pulling the blankets over her.  _ Sleep well. Sleep dreamlessly. I’ll have Dogmeat come in to keep her company. _

A soft click as the door closed behind him Deas returned to the scribes and the puzzle before them. Somewhere in the commonwealth were Raiders coordinated enough to trap hundreds of ghouls. Somewhere in his commonwealth was a gang of violent humans smart enough to lay the trap, set the bait, and could have easily swarmed his base with mindless radiated monsters. 

He was going to find them and remove them. The fact they were so bold as to dare challenge him would pay. And pay dearly.

But first he had to find them…


	20. Let the hunt begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of part 3! Also additional trigger warnings!
> 
> This chapter is VERY GORY and there’s a lot of descriptions!
> 
> If you don’t want to read the gore that’s totally ok. 
> 
> A quick TLDR:  
> Raiders murdered everyone in Sunshine and left some nasty nasty nasty work behind. the two knights that were guarding it are very dead. Deas is PISSED and his personal squad are going to be introduced.

After their initial meeting with Loreth the scribes started going through all the reports that mentioned raiders. At Deas’ plan they created a new map that kept track of what camps moved where, which were wiped out, which ones merged together and if any of them were known to have moved on. It took them several days to narrow down the possible options and it was with Loreth’s help that they were able to settle on at least a starting point for their search. 

Though she was bedridden until her leg healed and denied any combat action until her arm was mended, Loreth found a few ways to be helpful. Deas knew she was stir crazy though he made sure she had plenty of things to occupy her. Several of the scribes were pleasantly surprised to find out she could read and write and gave her the daunting task of re-writing some of the reports that had been damaged during a water leak.

Eventually, though, Deas and his military leaders decided on a plan of action. Utilizing their Vertibirds and growing combat force they would begin combing the western side of the commonwealth looking for signs of raider activity. There was hope that this could just be a large camp in one spot that they could bomb and be done with. No one wanted another long engagement after the war with the Institute.

And then the call for help came in from Sunshine Tidings.

The dispatcher that took the call was pale, his whole frame shaking, as he tried to relate what he heard through the radio to Deas. “Got the call just a few minutes ago sir… I … I think it was one of our knights but couldn’t tell… There were… Sir, screams were in the background. Worst thing I ever heard… And the … the knight. Sir … All I could get was ‘sunshine’. He wasn’t talking right. Like his tongue was numb or something … But the screams…” The man paled and then started to turn green as he tried to hold himself together. Deas could see the man had never heard someone die before and sent him to the medbay before he could puke on Deas’ floor. 

An emergency squad was collected and dispatched within the hour. Two Vertibirds with 2 knights a piece, 1 scribe with medical training, and 3 aspirants for backup. Deas would be right behind them with his squad once they had the third Vertibird fueled and ready. He hoped there would be survivors and wanted the medics there first to do what they could.

 

First to arrive on the scene the two vertibirds split up with one dropping knights at the south entrance to the settlement and the other dropped them to the east. Power armor plummeted through the sky, leaving craters in the soft soil as they landed. Guns at the ready both squads worked their way into the settlement, ready for a fight while the pilots waited for an all clear to land.

No one knew what to expect but they had anticipated conflict, gunfire, something. Instead the two squads of knights worked their way through the exterior defenses and into the settlement and found nothing. Not a single corpse was to be found but there was plenty of evidence there had been conflict.

Bullet holes riddled the buildings, discarded weapons were tossed aside, crops were trampled… Through the radio a knight called up to the two ‘Birds waiting to land and gave the all clear along with a warning to be on their guard. A second knight, her voice shaking, advised they may not need the medical supplies. 

Where she stood inside the long building often used for community meals and entertainment her T-60 power armor practically sloshed through the blood pooling on the cement floor. A few mops and buckets were discarded in the middle, also saturated with crimson, as evidence of the intentional spreading of gore all over the interior. 

The second squad had worked their way through a few of the small houses, confirming no bodies but plenty of evidence there had been fighting. As the medics landed one of the aspirants sent along as backup asked the one question no one had wanted to voice.

“Was the barn always that reddish brown color? I thought it was … plainer.” 

Working their way around the central building the first squad of knights were greeted with what they could only assume to have been the Brahmin for the settlement. The heads were missing and it looked to be only the skin but the front double doors were completely covered. 

“We should wait for the paladin… I don’t think there’s any rush to open that door…” The knight in charge gestured toward the fleshy seal and then looked at the others. “Should probably… It’s probably trapped.” Over the headset radios they all heard the announcement that Paladin Deas was in bound. 

With no excuse left to delay the inevitable the squads set to work to prepare the barn door. No one wanted to guess at what possible trap could be hidden behind the corpse-covered door but they knew the routine. Chains were brought over from the vertibirds to be looped through the barn door handles and set off to the side. Using the knights in their power armor instead of winches they could pull the doors open and avoid any potential explosions. Several more of the knights took up positions far enough away from the doors that they should be outside of any blast, their chain guns at the ready in case enemies were waiting to swarm them.

When Deas’ ‘Bird landed he made his way to the center group of knights. Behind him were 3 more X-01 power armor suits that belong to his personal squad. 

“Report.” His voice was sharp, betraying the anger that simmered behind the intimidating helmet. 

First the knights relayed what they had found, and had not found. The aspirants followed up with confirmation that there had been no survivors hidden and none of the settlements animals could be found either. Supply caches were empty, water purifier missing, and even the water pumps had been defiled by waste.

“That leaves this then.” He gestured to the door they had rigged up to open and frowned. “Be prepared for the worst. We all know what raiders are capable of.” A part of him shuddered to think that these raiders might be the worst so far but his people needed to see strength.

Chain guns at the ready lined up behind Deas with his Tesla Rifle, the signal was given and two knights on either end of the chains pulled. Their strength combined with the added strength of their power armor suits ripped the Brahmin skin and released the flood of viscous congealing blood and gore. Somehow the raiders had flooded the central barn with the remains of the settlers, their animals, and any of their own fallen, sealing the entrance with the Brahmin flesh so that as soon as the doors were breached it all came pouring out. 

Deas was grateful his helmet blocked the smell but three of their aspirants were violently ill, the medics not faring much better as they scrambled for their gas masks. 

Crimson fluid, congealing from the heat of the day, soaked through the dirt and pooled in front of the door. Inside they could see the remains of the settlers flayed with entrails spread like disturbing garland around the work benches within. Standing in the center of the room were the two suits of power armor that should have been the knights guarding Sunshine Tidings. The joints were locked in a salute pose, their helmets at their feet with the eyes blindfolded. Kneeling next to each suit was a knight’s body on their hands and knees. Dog food dishes in front of them held their heads frozen in fearful expressions. Carved over the brotherhood logo on the power armor suits was another raider mark, different from the one found where the ghouls had been captured.

Furious, disgusted, enraged at the way his settlers had been treated, Deas actually growled through the mic in his helmet. “Burn it all. There’s no way to bury them properly but I won’t see them become scavenger meals.” His personal squad came forward to see what orders he had for them and Deas switched to their personal channel. “Tracks. Find me which way they went. These fuckers think I’m going to let them get away with this their wrong. As soon as we find them I will make them pay for every drop of blood. Every life lost. We will end them and make sure no one else thinks to try this bullshit again.”


	21. Omega Squad Assemble!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the atrocities found in Sunshine Tidings the Paladin collects his personal squad and the machinations of war begin moving again

Sunshine Tidings was a macabre cleanup. Additional troops were called in from the nearby settlements to help scavenge anything useful before the central building was set aflame. Deas stayed through the process, making sure they had an accurate counting of who had been there and if any family might need to be contacted. It was grisly but he wanted to make sure these people were taken care of properly. He also wanted to make sure he knew exactly how many people had been murdered so that he could pay the raiders back in full plus interest for their crimes.

While he was left behind his personal squadmates were working on trying to track down the raiders. Leading the squad of 3 was Dozer, the heavy gunner. Her X-01 armor was gunmetal gray and basic in appearance except for the reflective orange Brotherhood logos on either shoulders. The large chain gun that she carried was wrapped in barbed wire and sharp metal that had been used more then once to bash enemies that got too close.

Next to her was Tank, a man just as loud as the vibrant Construction Yellow that his armor was painted. A super sledge customized with additional spikes was swung easily at his side as he joked about Deas’ new mercenary lady. “You think maybe now he’s gettin’ some on the regular he’ll loosen up?”

“Tank. You say that out loud near him yet? Because I can’t wait to see what punishment he gives you.” Dozer grinned behind her helmet knowing full well their paladin had little patience for gossip. “But if you haven’t said anything to him then ya. I think having a lady will do him some good.” She shook her head a little at the idea, though, of a new member to their group. “What I heard is she’s a raider hunter. Specializes in explosives and shotguns. Might be competition for you, Tank. We don’t need 2 noisy fuckers.”

Through the coms in their helmet both squadmates heard their third, his voice even and soft. “Signs of a camp ahead. Quit jawing and move to the east.” 

“Thanks for the heads up Deadshot.” Dozer shrugged in her power armor before cutting off the squad-wide radio, talking to Tank beside her through just the respirator. “I think he’s jealous. Only one so far without someone on the side.”

Tank laughed before jogging ahead, his power armor crashing through the underbrush. Dozer followed behind at a quieter pace, thumb ready to switch on her beloved chain gun.

The campfire had long since been abandoned as Deadshot knelt over the remains of a fire. The long sniper rifle at his back gave an idea as to how he earned his nickname though he was without the power armor expected of someone on Team Omega. “Gone. Several hours. There’s tracks but they separate.” Adjusting the combat armor helmet, he watched as Dozer and Tank took a look around. “But they went northwest and Southwest.”

Nodding, Dozer shoulders her gun and sighed. “And we thought super mutants were bad. I’ll radio in the update. ‘Bird isn’t too far back, we could use the height and see if there’s any sign of the bastards.”

“Did he want them alive?” Deadshot looked toward the southwestern trail he had followed for a bit. “Harder to get them alive.”

“If we break their legs they can’t run!” A swing of his super sledge and Tank laughed. “Let’s get the ‘Bird and go hunting. Gotta bring back the Paladin something or he’ll get mad.”

“He’s already mad. These fuckers don’t stand a chance now.” Dozer gave a nod toward Deadshot. “You following in the ‘Bird or on the ground?”

“Ground. Might find something useful.” Adjusting the weapons and he gave a quick salute before slinking into the underbrush to follow the footpath.

While hiking back to Sunshine and their squad’s Bird other two collected a few of the aspirants that were helping comb the area for signs. Dozer didn’t want them out alone in case the raiders were waiting in ambush somewhere. 

Nearing the perimeter of Sunshine Dozer barked a few orders, sending backup to Abernathy and Sanctuary, before reporting in to Deas. He agreed that taking to the air would be best and made one of the knights that was near him over-seeing the burning of Sunshine in charge.

 

In their ‘Bird Deas switched the coms to their internal team line so that if Deadshot was near enough he’d be queued in as well. “What did you find? Anything useful?”

The three waited for a few moments to see if Deadshot answered but when nothing came through Dozer took over. “An older camp, couple hours cold. Went two ways from there. We’re following the NorthWest trail since that heads toward Abernathy’s general direction. I sent some aspirants that way as backup just in case. Deadshot’s heading Southwest and we’ll meet up with him eventually.”

“Ya, you know he has to do the lone mongrel thing now and then. Wander off, come back with everything we need and no bullets.” Tank shakes his head but there’s a smile to his voice. “Man really needs to find a new friend. Speaking of frie- OOF!” Before he could finish the word Dozer nearly dented his chest armor with a left hook.

“What did I say about saying anything stupid?”

Tank could only reply with a startled cough that left Deas chuckling.

“The mercenary. Yes, she’s a friend. Yes, I have her staying at the airport while she heals.” Deas looked between the two of them, almost grateful for something else to think about besides the mess left behind at Sunshine. “But let’s focus on this task, not on the gossip. We need to find these raiders before they hit another settlement.”

The solemn reminder of their task left the usually chatty pair quiet as they watched out the side doors for any sign of raiders. Nearing Abernathy the group got an all Clear through the radios from the aspirants who had arrived and taken up positions. The Vertibird landed long enough to pick up two more that would be left behind at Sanctuary. 

The flight to the northernmost settlement was quiet, the five passengers watching outside for signs of trouble while internally dealing with the grisly findings they left behind. Deas, for his part, tried to keep his impatience in check. He knew it would take time to find the raiders and their camp. Knew it would take time to find out who was actually running the operation. But he desperately wanted to tear them apart for what they did.

Stopping at Sanctuary long enough to have a short report sent to the Minutemen’s Castle, Deas also made sure they had supplies and all turrets working before he climbed back into the ‘Bird to head south. “We should pick up Deadshot and head to the airport. Take the long way around the city in case they’re still in the area.”

A nod and the pilot got them back into the air while Dozer turned to watch their leader. “From here to Abernathy first, right? We should be able to collect Deadshot from there.”

“I also want to check in on a few other settlements before we head east. They’re out here with minimal protection right now so we need to make sure their defenses are up to snuff.”

Tank looked up from where he was slouched, his bright colored armor catching the sunlight as they flew out of Sanctuary. “We can’t be everywhere at once.”

Deas nodded and gestured toward the two of them. “Team Omega is just one of many teams. We’re going to be the spearhead but the others will be the shaft to make sure we can move forward.”

“Sir?” Dozer was a little confused though her mic cut out for a second as Deadshot chimed in. 

“About time you got here. I lost the trail but they were definitely going west.”

“Deadshot. Good. How is Abernathy’s defenses?” Deas tilted his head while listening to the report.

“Solid. Turrets operational. The Minutemen were already here so I spread the word.” Deadshot’s voice crackled a little, interference from the power lines that Deas wondered might be active still.

“Good. Sit tight and we’ll pick you up. From there we’re going to the airport.”

“Sir. Are you sure we should be heading to the airport? We could keep hunting.”

A shake of the helmet and he looked between all of them. “We are going to the airport. And when we get there I want you to gather everyone.”

“Sir? Even the civilians?”

“Everyone. We are going to war.”


	22. Go West young adventurers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Omega Squad is sent out on their information gathering. 
> 
> Honestly, quarantine is making the whole creative bit hard so .... I apologize. I’m going to be making this as fun as I can but the struggles my dudes... the struggles.

Omega Squad landed their Vertibird and Dozer was the first to disappear into the crowds, her armor loudly stomping through the courtyard while calling for the different squad leaders and commanding officers. Tank went a different direction to round up the mechanics while Deadshot went into the main building itself to find the scribes. Deas, taking a moment to breathe before removing his helmet and exiting the Vertibird, went to the farms where the civilians were.

 

Once they had everyone collected and lined up in the courtyard Deas climbed onto one of the guard posts so everyone could see and hear him. Setting aside his X-01 helmet he took a moment to look at the milling crowd before him. The groups were mixed throughout, no clear lines between mechanic and farmer, which gave him hope. 

A deep breath and he straightened, his voice echoing across the suddenly quiet gathering.

“Citizens of the commonwealth, members of the brotherhood of steel. A declaration has been issued. A challenge, if you will. Today I report to you the grimmest of news. Sunshine tidings has been obliterated. Not a single survivor, young or old, survived. All that remained was the buildings and even then not all of them. The little safety we have worked so hard to acquire after defeating the institute is once again being threatened. This was done by a group of unknown origin but clearly displayed their emblem as a declaration of war. 

In response I will need everyone here and even those who are in other settlements to pull together, strengthen our ties and become a unit of one. To help defend our homes, locate this threat and eradicate it from the commonwealth.

For the normal citizens of the commonwealth gathered here today you will be our backbone. We will need you to make sure the supplies of food and water maintain a consistent level and store as much excess as we can. As well, we will need to start making ready to take in additional survivors from other settlements who’s resources and protection make them easy prey for our new enemy. Working together we can prevent what happened at Sunshine Tidings from occurring again and thwart their attempts at tearing our peace apart.

To the members of the brotherhood of steel we will have three primary objectives. The first will be reconnaissance. We must locate the source of this threat and give our aggressors a face instead of just a mark. This war will not be like the war against the institute where our supposed foe could have been anyone and everyone. In this case we know what our enemies are and we will have clear lines drawn in the sand. Our second objective will be that of protection. With the aid of the Minute Men, which I will be requesting shortly, we will be bolstering our support of the most outlying settlements in the west while they cover the main central area. Our advanced mobility and armor will mean we can best protect those most vulnerable to attack. The third objective will come once we have the answers from objective one and we have identified the source location of the group or groups who’s insignia has been etched into the very flesh of our fallen brethren.”

He had tried to be even toned through his speech but he could see again the cuts left on his fallen knights, their headless forms reminding him again of just why he hated raiders. The scowl on his face added to the growl in his voice so much so that those near him were shocked to see his usually stoic demeanor affected so much.

“We will bring about their utter destruction and removal from the commonwealth with extreme prejudice. But we will not share in the cruelty they have shown our people. We will be precise, we will be swift, and we will cut out this cancerous growth before it spreads any further. We will make sure a clear message has been left for any raider groups that were allied or emboldened by such depravity that their ilk will not be tolerated here. The commonwealth will not harbor or support such villains.”

Taking a breath and releasing it slowly, getting his temper back under control, he looked toward where he saw the majority of the settlement leaders gathered. They had been whispering together and looked up at the pause.

“Leaders of the airport settlement and squad leaders of the brotherhood your burdens will be the greatest. There will be much that will be asked of you as the machine of war churns again. You must be the pillars that support those around you. This war will prove to be taxing emotionally and physically but a heavy burden is made lighter by sharing the load. It is only together that we will be successful and bring further peace to the commonwealth as a whole. Go now and begin your preparations for war.”

A cheer went through the group, civilian and military alike, and they scrambled to their positions. Farmers went back to their fields with a sense of duty now as they would be helping support not only the Brotherhood as they worked to hunt down this threat but also the outlying settlements that were the most threatened. The builders that had been working on adding new homes redoubled their efforts in the assumption that soon more housing would be needed then what they already planned for.

Deas, after climbing down from the guard post, went to his squad and merely nodded. “It begins. I’m going to be needed here to coordinate but I need you three to lead the search along the west side of the commonwealth. I’m pretty sure that’s the best way to go. Keep in touch, if you find something, and let me know if you need backup.”

Dismissed the squad climbed back into their refueled Vertibird along with Fredericks and the aspirant assigned to their squad. Tank, upon seeing the small woman in her tight leather gear and numerous pouches, groaned. “Listen, Fredericks, what are you here for?”

“Information gathering! That’s always been my job you’re just dumb and forget that.” She stuck her tongue out at him before settling her face mask into place. 

 “Dozer, Ghost is picking on me again.” Tank, in his whiniest impression of Fredericks, grinned before Dozer backhanded his shoulder with her gauntlet. “I don’t like children. You both act your age or you’re walking.”

Like the sheepish adults they were both ducked their heads and settled in for the flight. It was the aspirant who spoke next as he nearly tripped climbing into the ‘Bird. “So hey! Who’s excited! We’re going to WAR! With RAIDERS of all things! Man, I really was expecting the Super Mutants to be our focus.” Jinx, well into his 20’s, was a lanky man in basic gear and combat armor painted the same military green of Dozer’s power armor. His pack was heavy and clanked as it was nestled into the netting in a corner. 

“Jinx. What have we told you about talking? Every time you open your mouth something BAD happens.” Tank eyed the man as he sat down next to. Fredericks. Only Deadshot was missing but they were used to the sniper being late.

“Hey, at least I didn’t-“ Jinx tried to finish the sentence but Fredericks clapped her hand over his mouth and scowled. 

“Nope. Don’t. You’ll either sit there and be quiet or we'll feed you to the Merc Deas has on retainer.”

A surprised look, since Jinx was comically bad about keeping up with current news, and he looked between Dozer and tank. “Wait… we have a mercenary? Are they coming with us?”

Rolling her eyes before replacing her power armor helmet Dozer shook her head. “No, Jinx, no mercenaries. Just our squad for right now. Deas will be staying behind to coordinate the distribution. It’s up to us to comb the west side of the commonwealth.”

A quick salute and Jinx got back into his seat with an almost excited nudge to Fredericks. “So, Ghost, you ready to sneak around the ruins again? Remember last time when we were trying to find that transmitter?”

A groan and she turned away from him. “Can we get in the air now before he makes our luck turn bad?” 

A comment or two from the pilot and Deadshot hopped in just as the liftoff procedures were starting. The squad was in place and while Jinx and Ghost bantered the knights tried to enjoy the lighthearted conversation as a distraction from what they had seen. Neither Jinx or Ghost knew the truth and the group had agreed unanimously that they would spare as many as they could the grisly details.

Flying back toward the west side of the commonwealth, the squad was mostly quiet while Jinx and Ghost bantered back and forth. It was refreshing, as far as the knights were concerned, that their two compatriots were so lighthearted given the circumstances. Dozer in particular enjoyed the teasing as a reminder of why they were working so hard to restore peace.

Arriving finally at their next destination the squad left the Vertibird behind and began the short walk up the hill toward Graygardens. Tank took the lead, his sledgehammer resting on a massive shoulder. “So check in with the bots, make sure they’re good, and we’re sending the extra supplies where?”

“Half to the airport, half to the Caste for the Minute Men. Since they’re covering the central part of Boston they’ll have an easier time moving supplies then we will but Deas assumes a lot of people are going to be coming to the airport.” Dozer gestured toward the waiting Supervisor. “There’s Greene. Chat with him while Deadshot and I pick our next destination.”

Ghost chirped up next to Dozer, a grin half hidden behind her gas mask. “Are we going to Oberland? I haven’t seen them in a while.”

“Probably next on our list of stops but no you can’t stay overnight again.” Deadshot eyed the scribe with a half-joking smile. “Maybe when this is over with but our stay needs to be short. We’re using Oberland as a staging ground before we head into the wasteland.” 

“That’s going to be … fun. There’s usually ghouls and bugs out there.” Jinx watched as Tank returned, a frown furrowing his expression. “What’s wrong with you?”

“The bots here are going to be sending their harvests between the two locations easily enough. The caravans are still traveling and Deas was already talking to Preston about adding additional guards. Greene is just really annoying though… Looks like we’re done here.”

Nodding, the group started to head back down the road toward the train tracks that would lead them toward the next settlement. They were relaxed, confident in their safety since this area was generally well guarded. Deadshot was the only nervous one but they were used to his paranoid behavior.

“Hey, when we’re done there, where next? Do we have somewhere specific we’re aiming for or just aimless wandering?” Ghost walked along the rail, balancing easily on the thin surface next to Jinx. Tank and Dozer walked in the front with Deadshot bringing up the rear.

“From there it’s the west wilderness. All the attacks seem to be coming from there so we’ll need to be extremely careful while we try to find where the raiders are coming from.” Deadshot watched the area around them, a hand near his rifle. “I don’t think we’ll find anything but we have to try.There are other groups that are searching north and east as well. We know they’re not coming from the south since the Glowing Sea is there.” 

The group nodded and slowed down as they reached the end of the bridge with the settlement’s tower in sight.

“Alright kids, let’s go meet the neighbors!” Tank, grinning wide, picked up his pace to go visit the settlement with the others hot on his heels.


	23. Defending Oberlin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oberlin Station is going to be Omega Squad’s base of operations during their search for the raiders. Have to keep the base safe from threats, yes?

Rounding the bend of the train tracks the squad saw the imposing cement fortress that was Oberlin Station ahead of them. The founders of the settlement had found instructions on how to make cement and found the tools needed as well! With that and with the minutemen’s help the once struggling tato farm was now a defensive thriving community. Guard stations were mounted at nearly every corner with advanced turrets lining the top of walls. The only evidence of the original farm was the train observation tower taking up one of the corners. The time-worn wooden construction is a stark contrast to the modern looking fortress. 

“I always forget how big this place is.” Tank slowed his pace as they neared the mechanical front gate. “But man, the two women really went all out with the place. Hey, Ghost, do you know if they finished the interior?”

Sliding up next to him, her smile wide as she waited for the gate to open, Ghost nodded enthusiastically. “They did! The paving went perfectly so now there’s a whole workshop at the ground level! They even got a power armor station from the brotherhood installed.” 

Dozer led the way through the now raised metal gate, her power armor clanking as she went from the dirt path to the cement pavement within. “This is why we’re using Oberlin as our staging ground. They’re well defended, well supplied, and close to where Deas wants us to search.”

One of the guards came over and offered a quick salute to Dozer. “Ma’am! We got word from the airport and have setup barracks for your team.”

“Excellent. We’ll get some rest and head out early tomorrow morning” Dozer returned the salute and followed the guard as he showed her the arranged quarters.

Tank and Deadshot both turned to ask Ghost something, since she was the one most familiar with this settlement, only to find the woman was gone. 

“Huh.. where did she go now? I had assumed she’d stick around long enough to at least give us a quick tour maybe..” Tank glanced at Deadshot who just shrugged.

“She’s very close to the settlement leaders. I suspect she’s off handling some business with them.” Deadshot’s almost monotone voice muted the grin he wore. “Likely some personal business.”

“Oh, like orders from Deas? Man Ghost gets to do the fun jobs. Maybe I should have been a scribe…” Jinx looked at the other two men, having been overlooked again by them, and shrugged before taking the stairs. 

The ground level of the fortress was almost entirely farmland with corrals for animals, a section walled off for the newly constructed work space, and a smaller area fenced in that held the water pumps. Stairs to the left and right of the front gate led upstairs to the second level where the vendors and residential areas were. To make sure the farmland had adequate sunlight the central area of the fortress was open to the sky, A third level was above that and held the guard posts and walkways used to patrol the fortress exterior. 

“They took their idea from some old castle they saw in a book, right? Seems pretty smart. I bet Deas is going to ask them to come help rebuild some of the airport’s cement walls. Probably teach a few other people how to do the mixing.” Tank tapped appreciatively on the wall. “If we can make more of this our settlements will be a lot safer.” 

“Yes, but gathering the necessary materials is the challenge. We’ve not been able to get any of the plants active to process the necessary cement mix.” Deadshot turned his attention from Tank’s rolled eyes to where Jinx was chatting with one of the residents. Only a part of the conversation could be heard but it was enough to make the sniper cringe.

“...and the walk was pretty nice! No dogs, no ghouls, and not even any super mutants!” Animated as he was, Jinx missed the cringe that crossed his teammate’s faces. “At least we won’t get attacked today.”

 

Dozer completed a bit of paperwork to keep track of the squad’s inventory, requesting some additional healing items and food as well as refilling their water containers. This settlement was one of her favorites in that it was run very efficiently, almost as efficiently as the airport was. The settlement leaders, two women that were currently locked away with Ghost having a ‘conversation’, prided themselves on their management of the steadily growing community. A few times they had mentioned wanting to expand further but the hilly landscape was going to make that difficult.

Halfway through checking over her power armor to make sure there wasn’t any maintenance or oil needed Dozer heard the alarm ring out. “Dammit. This better not be what I think it is…” Cranking open her X-01 suit to climb back in, the leader of Omega Squad grabbed her chaingun and headed toward the top floor where the guard stations were.

Up there already was Tank and Deadshot, a very sheepish Jinx between them rubbing at what she assumed was going to be a new bruise on his arm. “You said something didn’t you?? I swear. Of all the mutations I’ve heard of I think yours is just Bad Luck.” 

The guard captain that came over looked concerned, a glance over his shoulder toward the eastern woods. The trees were thickest there and most of the attacks came from that way. “Ma’am, Super Mutants were spotted by our scouts. Can I assume your squad will be helping us?”

“Of course. Deadshot, you stay up here for ranged support. Jinx, keep your damn mouth shut and help him. You’re on spotter duty. Tank, you’re with me, we're going down to the ground level where we can do our best work. Omega Squad, move out!” The men snapped their salutes with Jinx not meeting her eyes before they scattered to their positions.

There was barely enough time for Dozer and Tank to get to the ground level and outside the gates before they heard the gravelly voice of the mutant Warlords barking orders. While other guards from the settlement took up their positions behind barricades, their weapons at the ready, Dozer started warming up her chain gun in preparation for the attack. 

They didn’t have long to wait before they heard the tell-tale sound of rapid beeping. Every heart stopped as they looked for the source of the sound, wanting to find a charging Super Mutant and kill it before the primed Mini Nuke in it’s hand went off.

Jinx saw it first as a flash of exposed green flesh streaking through naked trees holding an ominous blinking red light. A quick word to Deadshot was all that was needed and before the mutant cleared the tree line a sniper round echoed off the fortress walls. Mutant corpse landed headless into the grass as the blinking stopped and Oberlin’s defenders breathed a temporary sigh of relief. 

“Damn Deadshot… Damn. He got that one in the eye socket!” Tank grinned behind his helmet, adjusting the grip on his hammer in preparation for his own attack.

“That’s what he does. Now get ready, there’s more mutants coming!” Dozer lifted her massive chain gun, the barbed-wire wrapped spikes beginning to spin as she got ready to fire. Before she could say anything else the first mutants began to emerge from the tree line. Most were armed with assault rifles that sprayed bullets into Oberlin’s defensive line. Behind the first wave were a few Warlords, super mutants that were more intelligent and armed with better weaponry. These held laser rifles that were trained on the top level of Oberlin Station with the plan to take out long ranged support. 

Giving their attacks little time, Tank charged into their front line with his massive Super Sledge slamming into the mutant’s torsos. As large as Tank was in his power armor the Super Mutants were still a little larger and could withstand the heavy blows from his sledgehammer. Utilizing his hammer’s rockets, Tank was able to stagger at least a few of the monsters, slowing their attacks and giving openings to the other defenders. The squad’s tactic made good use of the mutant’s lesser intelligence. While the green monstrosities were surrounding Tank Dozer was not far away with her chaingun sawing through their numbers. She made short work of any that got within range of her heavy gun, utilizing the barbed wire barrel as a melee weapon if they thought to attack her head on. Perched on Oberlin Station’s wall Deadshot made sure to take out any suiciders that tried again to explode the walls of the fortress before returning his focus to weakening the Warlords.

The battle felt like it had lasted hours though it was really only about fifteen minutes. Casualties were low though several guards from outer defenses had been pulled back inside so the medics could start picking out bullets or treating the laser burns. Tank and Dozer kept their defensive positions in place outside the gates in case there were any stragglers while Deadshot remained on the corner of the fortress using his scope to look into the trees. 

Ghost was the one working hardest after the fight with her leather scribe armor splattered in blood. Utilizing her field medic training to help save the injured guards she had Jinx, still feeling sheepish though no one actually blamed him for the attack, was helping run for more clean water or make bandages when needed.

 

Confirmation came through the X-01 helmets when Deadshot was sure the area was clear. Dozer immediately set down her gun and started to arrange any remaining ground troops to collect the dead bodies and build a fire pit downwind from the fortress. Disposing of the bodies made sure that disease and pests weren’t being encouraged and they had already confirmed that Super Mutant corpses made for terrible fertilizer. 

Tank was put to work carrying the largest of the pieces, or whole corpses if they hadn’t been broken by his hammer or Dozer’s chaingun, to the pit Oberlin kept about a quarter mile south of the front gate. Considering how often they were attacked the pit was used often for corpses and general garbage of the settlement. Having the power armor meant moving things was much easier and working with the settlement guards they were able to clean up the battle site fairly quickly. 

By the time they returned to the front gate, Ghost had completed her triage and treatment of the injured and helped start on the communal dinner. Jinx and Deadshot helped Tank and Dozer out of their armor so the repairs could be made. Where Ghost was the field medic Jinx was their mechanic and he happily set to work hammering dents out of the power armor plates.

“No real damage except some bullet dents, hammer dents… Lots of blood.” He looked up at Dozer with an almost apologetic smile. “I’ll get this taken care of so you won’t need to worry. Your armor will be brand-new looking by morning! Same with Tanks!”

 

Dinner was a rowdy affair with most of the residents excited that not only had mutants been decimated but none of their fortress had been harmed or guards killed. Several cheers went up as Tank and Dozer returned from discussing their armor repairs with Jinx. Ghost was already nestled on a couch between both of the settlement leaders, the three talking quietly amongst themselves with a curious Deadshot watching from the stool in a corner. 

“As usual, our sniper found a perch where he can spy on everyone.” Tank accepted the bowl of stew handed to him and dropped into another couch. Dozer sat next to him, their muscular forms taking up almost the entire space.

“This is true. But he feels better when he can see what’s going on.” She shrugged before sitting back into the cushions to eat.

“Eh, I guess. He could try to participate.” Flashing her a big grin Tank leaned into her with a comfortable sigh. “I think it would do him good to be a part of the group more.”

“Not everyone wants to be the center of attention, Tank. There are people who much prefer to watch.” Eating her stew with one arm draped across the back of the couch, bowl balanced on her leg, Dozer and Tank looked very intimate.

“I heard you say you missed me.” Deadshot took a seat on the remaining section of couch, almost in Dozer’s lap as he leaned back against her. “So I’m here. Participating in the group.”

Giving him a soft chuckle as she removed her arm from around Tank, Dozer picked up her bowl and resumed eating. “Fine, invade my space.”

“Glad to have permission.” Deadshot grinned half-heartedly before resting his head on her meaty shoulder. “You’re warm and comfortable.” His eyes closed as she stared at him incredulously, half-eaten dinner almost forgotten. 

Evening passed without much excitement, though Jinx was curious why Ghost went with the settlement leaders instead of joining them in the barracks. Tank and Dozer both chuckled as Deadshot reminded the aspirant that their scribe was handling some personal business. 

“She’ll be ready to leave by morning. For now, let them have their discussions and some peace. Don’t get nosy.” Deadshot, from his top bunk on the other end of the barracks, quipped while Jinx settled into his own bed. Tank and Dozer took up bottom bunks beneath Deadshot and Jinx, the muscular teammates were snoring almost immediately.

Morning arrived and the group was ready to move out, Ghost and Jinx leading the way with Tank behind them, Dozer in the middle, And Deadshot bringing up the rear. Their supplies had been restocked, their water and healing items replenished, and a whole vast wasteland ahead of them ready to explore.


End file.
